


think i'm addicted to your light

by dreamingoverthehorizon



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), all the champions are alive for that matter, but link still saved hyrule, for the drama, legend of zelda reincarnation theory, link is still trying to figure out what hes doing with his life, mipha didn't die! yay, oblivious fools in love are oblivious, sidon and link are in a very sticky situation, some parts are gonna be sad folks, with an extra twist of all the links die immediately after defeating ganon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:55:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 97,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23564155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingoverthehorizon/pseuds/dreamingoverthehorizon
Summary: Link looked up at him, a rush of heat rising to his cheeks as Sidon took a deep breath before he continued.“Link, I would like to ask you to pretend to be my partner.”Sidon does not know how to fess up when he’s lied.This usually wouldn’t be a problem, considering hedoesn’tlie. But King Dorephan and Mipha have been nagging at him for months to get off his high horse and court someone and, frankly, Sidon is sick of it. In a spur of the moment, he snaps and says that hehascourted someone— except he hasn’t. And now, King Dorephan and Mipha have managed to convince him to bring his partner over so they could meet him. Panicking and not really knowing who else to turn to, Sidon asks Link if he would pretend to be his boyfriend.Link says yes.
Relationships: Link/Prince Sidon
Comments: 435
Kudos: 792





	1. Chapter 1

The heat of the afternoon June sun beat against Link as he settled Epona into her stable. He slid off of her slowly, moving to face her as he scratched along her neck. She lowered her head, and Link took the invitation to lean his forehead against her, their way of silently commemorating coming home in one piece. They had had a rough week— Link, unfortunately, hadn’t exactly prepared to run into so many monsters when he set out that Monday. Now, it was Saturday, and his body was practically screaming at him to get into bed after a long night of traveling. 

He let his hand slide off of Epona, the extent of his exhaustion finally beginning to settle into already sore muscles. The warm humidity of summer wasn’t helping— though it would usually be embraced with open arms, his body was packed with enough sweat and dirt as it was. Goddess, he needed a shower. And a nap.

Link’s keys clinked as he unlocked his door, his wandering eyes catching a hint of blue in his mailbox. He frowned as he lifted the metal flap, and sure enough, a characteristically deep blue envelope, secured with the Zora seal, was inside. Hastily grabbing all the envelopes present, he grumbled as he crossed his threshold and shut the door behind him. He walked into his kitchen, ripping the envelope open as he plopped onto one of the chairs at his table. Link scanned the letter over. And then over again. 

A few beats of silence passed as he slowly processed the words of the letter, his exhaustion causing a delay in his comprehension. As soon as he finally realized what he had just read, his eyes widened as he shot up onto his feet, scanning the letter once more to make sure he had read it right.

“Goddess. Oh no.  _ Shit _ —”

Link stumbled over a drawer as he ran to his bathroom, not taking the time to pick it back up when it noisily hit the ground. Hastily stripping himself of his armor and clothes, he jumped into the shower, catching himself as he nearly slipped on the slick tiles. 

_ My dear friend, _

_ How are you, Link? I hope this letter finds you safe and sound, and I hope your days have been happier now that you have had time to properly settle into your home.  _

_ I am quite sure you know by now that I sometimes speak without thinking. Last time I wrote to you, I mentioned how my father and Mipha have been pestering me with questions about my personal life— mainly, how they could not help but notice that I have not even attempted to court anyone yet. I have since been avoiding them as much as I can, but the questions still arise even in the briefest of interactions. _

_ And yes, I did receive your response to my last letter. Your suggestions, although amusing, were quite crude and I, unfortunately, do not have the guts like you do to do such things.  _

_ All that said, about a week ago over dinner, my father brought the subject up once again. He began listing available Zoras to me. The  _ audacity _. While I love my people, Link, it does get a little tiring to go into the public and have women of courting age practically throw themselves at me. I try to keep a positive face throughout the whole ordeal, but more than once have I been tempted to succumb to my animal instincts and snarl at them so that they would stop. Thank the goddess I have not. Yet, at least.  _

_ However, what eventually resulted from this conversation at dinner is far too embarrassing to discuss in a letter, and the request I must make of you even more so. I hope it is alright for me to visit you in Hateno in about a month’s time, which would be in late June, on the 20th. By the time you get this letter, hopefully, on the Monday of, I will be well on my way to visit you. Until then, my dear friend.  _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Prince Sidon _

Link’s thoughts raced as he scrubbed at his body, cringing at the dirty water going down the drain. It was already the 20th, and he cursed anyone listening for alerting him so late of the Prince’s arrival. Sidon was coming to visit him. He was dirty and disgusting and gross and he was overly exhausted—

Oh god, Sidon was coming to visit him. 

A few minutes passed before Link was finally dressed in fresh, clean clothes when a knock sounded at his door. Link raced to answer it, but not before picking up the drawer that had fallen over before. He huffed as he checked his reflection in a mirror by the door, gravely assuming that he was as presentable as he was going to get at this point. He opened the door, looking up at the tall figure in front of him.

“Link! My dear friend, how are you?”

Link grinned at Sidon, who was looking down at him with his famous princely smile. Sidon’s arms were extended to his full wingspan, and Link took the invitation to wrap his arms around the other man’s waist. Sidon’s laugh vibrated through his body as he returned the embrace. The Hylian inhaled as inconspicuously as he could, taking in the smell of the Prince; it was always inexplicably capable of soothing his nerves. 

Link pulled away and took a few steps back before lifting his hands to sign. ‘Tired, honestly. I didn’t read your letter until today, I just got back.’

Sidon frowned slightly, walking in after Link made room for him to enter. “Really? Oh, my apologies! Would you like me to go back to the inn so that you can rest? We can talk later, I promise that this conversation is not that urgent.”

Link laughed softly. ‘No, it’s fine, really. So what’s up?’

Sidon hummed in response, turning away from the Hylian to examine the gear displayed on the walls. As he did, Link sat on one of the arms of his couch, his heart skipping a beat as he watched the other man. Sidon’s presence calmed him. It made him feel as though he hadn’t just come back from a night full of vigorous fighting. Although the Prince was wearing his normal regalia, Link swore that he got more handsome every time he saw him. His eyes wandered the Prince’s body, over his tail (which was adorably wagging ever so slightly), his arms (god, his  _ arms _ ), his gills, his— 

“Link?”

Link jumped, his face feeling hot as he snapped out of his thoughts. Sidon was looking at him as if he was expecting a response, making Link mentally slap himself for letting his mind get carried away. 

‘S-sorry! I’m sorry, what did you say?’

“It is alright, my friend,” Sidon grinned. “I asked about the trip that you had mentioned earlier.”

‘Oh, goddess. It was only supposed to be two days and it ended up being five.’

“Five?!”

‘I got distracted. And lost,’ Link shifted uncomfortably. ‘And there were kind of a lot of monsters that kept bombarding us.’

Sidon stared at Link, eyes wide and a smile slowly creeping onto his face. “Link, you never cease to amaze me. I know it is obvious because you  _ are  _ the Hero of Hyrule, but the level of your strength and perseverance is admirable. To be able to go through all of that and make it out alive…” 

Link looked down at his hands, a warmth rising to his cheeks at Sidon’s praise. He felt his ears twitch as a chair eventually creaked, looking up to see Sidon sitting at his table. The Prince was shifting his eyes, seemingly looking at everything but Link. His fingers were tapping against his legs, one of which was bouncing rather quickly. It made Link chuckle. He snapped his fingers to get Sidon’s attention, and if he had looked any closer, he would’ve noticed a slight flush to his cheeks. 

‘Your turn.’

“I beg your pardon?”

‘You came all the way from the Domain to tell me what happened. Spill.’

Sidon groaned and he hid his face in his hands, his elbows resting on the wooden table in front of him. 

“Link, it’s embarrassing!” He whined. His hands dragged down his face as he looked up at Link again. 

‘Sidon.’

“Ugh…!” He hid his face again. 

Link smiled as he slipped off the arm of the couch and walked over to where Sidon was sitting. His chair squeaked as he settled in it, and he craned his head so that Sidon could look at him. 

‘Sidon.’

“Yes?” His voice was muffled by his hands. 

‘What happened?’

Sidon sighed heavily, his gills flaring out in frustration. He lifted his face, and Link returned to sitting normally. 

“I… I made a mistake. And it is too late to tell the truth.”

Link cocked his head to the side, frowning as he lifted his hands again. ‘Sidon, what happened?’

Sidon huffed. “Link, I love my father and Mipha. I do. They are my family, but they have been crossing the line as of late!”

Link watched as Sidon stood up, pacing back and forth as he continued. 

“Every time I see them, it’s always. The same. Topic,” Sidon threw his hands up in the air, lowering his voice to imitate his father. “ ‘Sidon, my boy, where are my grandchildren?’ ‘Sidon, my boy, where’s your partner? I would like to meet them.’ ‘Sidon, my boy, have you even given anyone your sapphire yet?’ I’m sick of it, Link!” 

Link hummed in response, figuring that it was better to let Sidon take out his frustrations without interruption. 

“And then!” Sidon skidded to a stop, his hands clenching at his sides. “And then! Mipha has to go and be like, ‘Father, I do think that Sidon is a lost cause.’ ‘Sidon, little brother, the kingdom is getting worried.’ ‘Sidon, there are so many Zoras out there that would say yes if you just approached them out of nowhere and gave them your sapphire. You don’t even need to give a speech.’ ”

Link couldn’t help but laugh at Sidon’s imitation of Mipha, shifting in his chair to watch Sidon as he paced. Although he had to admit, he was getting a little worried for the Prince’s sanity. 

“And so, there we are, at dinner, and the topic rises again. Except, when my father and Mipha are together, they feed off of each other and their taunts get practically  _ unbearable.  _ They start, and you must understand, Link, that I am  _ upset _ . I am so frustrated, and I am  _ exhausted  _ from hearing their complaints about me. So in a spur of the moment, I snap. I snap and I say, ‘Well you know what, I  _ do  _ have a partner, thank you very much!!’ ”

Sidon stops in his tracks, looking up at the ceiling and groaning. “I just wanted them to stop…”

Silence fell as Sidon closed his eyes, still facing the ceiling. His gills flared out as he breathed, and a low, quick growl came from him as he stood. 

Link bit his lip and snapped his fingers so that Sidon would look at him. ‘So, what happened?’

Sidon’s face flushed as he turned away from Link, grumbling under his breath. He sighed loudly and turned back to face Link, his hands rubbing at his temples. 

“They told me to bring my partner over so they can meet them.” He made eye contact with the Hylian, a spark of desperation in his eyes. “I said that I would. Link, I _do_ _not have_ a partner.”

Link’s mouth fell into an ‘o’ as his eyes shifted to the left, seeing how late it had gotten already, and shifted his gaze back to Sidon again. ‘What are you going to do?’

Sidon hesitated, his face flushing more than it already had. “Link… I have a very big favor to ask of you. I will do anything for you in return.” 

The gears in Link’s head began to move as he slowly tried to comprehend what Sidon was getting at. Sidon walked towards him, reaching to grip Link’s hands, his own engulfing the Hylian’s. Link looked up at him, a rush of heat rising to his cheeks as Sidon took a deep breath before he continued. 

“Link, I would like to ask you to pretend to be my partner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i just got botw, so some stuff in this work is probably going to be wrong. my apologies for that.   
> i'm still in classes, so updates may be a little sparse, but i'll do my best to keep a schedule. thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Sidon felt like he was walking on air.

He shut the door behind him; it surprised him, almost, that he was in the inn already. As if he _hadn’t_ just hiked all the way there from Link’s house. If he was being completely honest, the blue-eyed Hylian had been the only thing on his mind he had given any attention to on the way over.

The image of the Hylian smiling at him— eyes sparkling as if they were crystal clear waters with the last rays of evening sun glistening against them, his cheeks and the tip of his nose a delicate shade of pink, his hair golden waves that gracefully fell out of place when he laughed; it drove him insane.

He hadn’t even realized that he was holding his breath until his chest coiled, on fire, reminding him that he couldn’t just  _ hold his breath for so long, for fuck’s sake _ . He let his head fall back onto the door behind him, his chest heaving as he tried to focus his thoughts.

Sidon was really glad Bazz agreed to get a single room instead of sharing the double like they usually did on business trips. He was sure the captain would’ve thought he had gone mad— there was no doubt in his mind that he looked foolish, just standing there. He didn’t really mind, though. Not when Link was the root of it all.

He said yes. Sidon had asked him if he would pretend to be his boyfriend and  _ Link said yes _ . He was honestly convinced he deserved some sort of reward for not yelling in delight and pumping his fist after the Hylian had responded to his request. Which he did almost do. 

He did have a  _ little _ more dignity than that, though.

And then he remembered how painfully embarrassing he had acted around the Hylian. Oh, Goddess, and how long it had taken Link to  _ actually  _ respond. In the tense beats of silence, Sidon had honestly almost firmly shaken the Hylian’s hand goodbye and walked out of the door, steadfast on never stopping.

But, Link had accepted the request.

_ “You— You are saying yes?!” _

_ Link blinked at him, cocking an eyebrow at his response. ‘What, you wanted me to say no? Because if that’s what you want—‘ _

_ “No, no no no no!” Sidon stammered. His face felt incredibly hot and he had half a mind to jump into the pond outside to calm down. “I mean, if you do not wish to do this, I would completely understand—” _

_ Link broke out into a wide grin, chuckling as he looked up at the Prince through his eyelashes. _

_ ‘Sidon, I’m pretty sure I said yes.’ _

_ The Prince was sure that his smile had been as effusive and syrupy as he felt, but he didn’t pay much mind to his conscience telling him to pull it together. _

_ “Oh, this is wonderful!” Sidon was about to pass out. “Link, thank you,  _ thank you _!!! You are truly a lifesaver— Truly. Link, I am so utterly grateful for you.” _

_ Link laughed, a crescendo in the air, a snort following close behind, and it made Sidon’s stomach flip every time he heard the man laugh like that. So  _ earnest _ , so unapologetically authentic. Sidon wondered how a laugh could taste so sweet in the air as Link’s did. _

_ ‘So, can I ask when exactly this plan is actually starting?’ _

_ Sidon shifted his eyes, biting his lip as he did. _

_ Oh, Goddess. _

_ “Well… I was kind of hoping…” He cleared his throat. “I was hoping you would be willing to leave Hateno tomorrow?” _

_ Link’s eyes widened, eyebrows shooting up in tandem. ‘... Tomorrow?’ _

_ “Yes… ?” _

_ ‘As in.  _ Tomorrow _ , tomorrow. Like, in less than 12 hours tomorrow.’ _

_ “You know Link, you make me feel quite guilty when you word it that way.” _

_ Link rolled his eyes playfully. ‘Sorry, Your Highness, it isn’t as if you just brought this up out of nowhere.’ Sidon would’ve felt awful had Link not giggled afterward. ‘I just. I wasn’t expecting this. At all, really. I—… wait. How long is this going to go on for?’ _

_ Sidon forgot to bring that part up. He clicked his tongue, lamely. _

_ “...Link, I completely understand if you do not want to go through with this plan anymore—“ _

_ ‘Sidon.’ _

_ The Prince sighed. “... At least a month?” _

_ Link hummed thoughtfully in response. Sidon was about to call it all off at the hesitation before he flashed a smile up at Sidon. _

_ ’I’ll be ready in the morning.’ _

Sidon sighed, looking out the window to gaze at the stars, stark against the night sky. 

It was going to be a long time before morning.

* * *

Bazz was rambling beside him as they walked towards the entrance of the village. Usually, the Prince would’ve felt bad at not paying as much attention as he was, but the captain was ranting about how weak the drinks in the Hylian bars were. The topic was blas é to Sidon at this point— Bazz never really seemed satisfied with any alcohol outside of the ones found in the Domain.

Really, his attention had been focused on spotting Link, who had promised to be waiting by the gate around this time. And, sure enough, as they reached the top of the hill, the Hylian was by the entrance, on his tiptoes so that he could scratch behind Epona’s ears. The Hero was so tiny— it was achingly adorable. 

Link glanced over once he heard their footsteps, smiling at them brightly. 

‘Good morning!’

Sidon chuckled as they stopped in front of him. “Good morning, Link.” 

“Oh, Master Link! What a surprise, I didn’t expect to see you!” Bazz grinned, faltering slightly as he caught sight of the two satchels attached to Epona’s saddle. “Are you coming back to the Domain with us?”

‘I sure am!’

“Oh!”

Bazz turned to look at Sidon, squinting slightly at him.

‘Aw, Sidon, did you not tell Bazz I was coming?’

“I…”

He had not. In his defense, it hadn’t crossed his mind.

Link gasped, dramatically covering his mouth with his hand as he did. ‘I’m hurt, Sidon!  _ Wounded,  _ even!’

“Prince Sidon, you  _ wounded  _ him.”

Sidon snorted, breathily letting out a laugh. “My apologies, Link. Are you all set to go?”

Link  _ mmhm _ ed! in response, and in a swift motion had mounted Epona. 

‘All set.’

* * *

The June sun was absolute torture, the humidity even more; the two Zoras sighed in relief when the river leading to the Domain came into view. It was late afternoon, and the trio decided they would stop at a certain point down the river to rest for the night. After assuring Sidon ad nauseam that he would catch up to them, the Prince wished Link luck before jumping into the river with Bazz.

A few hours had passed before the two dove out of the water, having spotted an alcove they could all spend the night in. Sidon sat down, sighing at finally letting his body rest from all the activity, and the captain echoed him, having sat down a few good feet away from him. They were quiet, for a while, letting restless crickets and late-night creatures fill the silence. Bazz was the first to speak, dropping formalities, something Sidon had been insisting for months that was okay for him to do. 

“Hey, Sidon?”

“Hm?”

“I… had a question.”

“Go ahead, Bazz.”

“Uh… don’t… get mad at me, or anything.”

Sidon opened his eyes, frowning slightly. “Why would I?”

Bazz pursed his lips, sighing loudly. “I was wondering… I saw how you and Link were acting on the way here. Teasing each other, and all, you know?”

The Prince straightened his posture, suddenly uncomfortably wary of where this was going.

“Yes…?”

“… Are you guys… together?”

The phrase punched all of the air out of Sidon’s lungs. He stammered, face feeling hot as he gawked at Bazz. 

He  _ couldn’t  _ have heard him right. 

“I-I beg your pardon?”

“Are you guys together?”

He heard him right.

Sidon stared at him, mouth agape, his thoughts racing as he tried to decide what to respond with. He bit back the  _ Goddess, I wish _ that was dangerously close to slipping out of his mouth. What he said, instead, was,

“No, we are not.”

There. Crystal clear. He wasn’t (to his demise)  _ lying _ . 

“Right. Cool.”

That was such a  _ bland  _ response. The dread of possibly having given himself away fell over Sidon. 

“I guess you guys are just, like, really good friends?”

Sidon stilled.

Fucking.  _ Score _ .

“Yes, of course.”

Bazz hummed in response, seemingly satisfied. He didn’t ask any questions after that, which Sidon was eternally grateful for. He didn’t know what he would’ve confessed had Bazz pushed the subject.

The silence between them returned, the noises of nature filling in for their voices. Soon, Bazz laid down so his back faced Sidon, and almost immediately began to snore. The Prince laughed quietly and looked up, staring at the moon and wondering if Link was okay (but just as quickly assuring himself that he was perfectly fine). He didn’t know how much time had passed before he had begun to drift off, jerking awake when he heard a hushed snicker come from outside the alcove. Reflexively grasping his sword beside him, he let it drop back to the ground as soon as he focused on the man in front of him.

“Link!”

The Hylian in front of him was trying (and failing) to bite back a smile as he raised a finger to his lips, silently walking over to join Sidon. The Prince’s heart fluttered when Link sat only a few inches away from him.

‘Sorry I took so long— a couple of monsters bombarded me on the way here.’

A flicker of worry flashed across Sidon’s face. “Are you hurt?”

Link shook his head, his golden hair swaying out of place. The Prince wanted nothing more but to tuck the offending hair behind the Hylian’s ears, to caress his cheek, but he determinedly kept his hands in his lap. 

The two sat in silence for a bit, and Sidon was so comfortable that he had hardly noticed when Link set up a fire in front of them (when had he gotten the materials?); the crackle of the fire filled the alcove, and with the Hylian next to him, Sidon managed to relax even more. 

Suddenly, Link cleared his throat.

“Sidon?”

The Prince opened his eyes— he hadn’t even noticed he shut them— and he gazed down at the Hero.

“Yes?”

Link inhaled sharply and bit his lip, diverting his eyes for a bit before looking back at him.

‘I was thinking about the plan. On the way here.’

“Mm.”

‘And, I… I thought about— about something.’ He hesitated and looked away, his hands slightly trembling before he continued. ‘Sidon… I. I don’t— I’m not experienced… with… affection.’

Sidon frowned slightly, not exactly understanding the point Link was trying to make.

“That is alright, Link. There is no need to be.”

Link sharply turned to look up at him. He looked a bit exasperated, and Sidon if he had said something wrong.

‘Sidon. You asked me to pretend to be your partner.’

“I did, yes.”

The Hylian huffed. ‘Sidon! We have to act like a- a couple. That’s the point— we’re trying to convince your father and Mipha that we— that we’re  _ together _ .  _ Romantically. _ ’

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh, Goddess, Sidon did not think about this. He probably should’ve. He realized that that was pretty obviously required in order for the plan to work, now that he  _ was _ thinking about it. 

His heart stopped— something had clamped in his chest and it was kind of making it hard to breathe. He blanked completely. The thought of, of  _ touching _ Link and…  _ romantically _ being affectionate with him made him scatterbrained. The gamut of emotions he was going through, though, eventually landed on guilt.

This was all pretend for Link. The Hero was going to be forced to act like he was in love with Sidon, and he couldn’t even begin to imagine how uncomfortable that was making him. 

He  _ really  _ should’ve thought about this entire thing more than he actually had.

Sidon finally let reality take over again, and he realized that Link was staring at him, worry written all over his face.

Oh. He was supposed to respond. 

“Right.” He finally choked out.

The Hylian chewed at his lip. ‘… Did you have any plan for this?’

Sidon inhaled shakily, slowly letting the breath out again. He hoped Link hadn’t noticed how close he was to freaking out.

“I… am not going to lie, Link. I did not plan for this part.”

The Hero nodded. He looked away and stared at the fire for a bit, before shyly looking back up at Sidon, a soft flush of red on his cheeks. 

‘Should we practice?’

Sidon stiffened, and the reflex must’ve been more obvious than he had hoped because Link was immediately retracing his steps. 

‘Oh! Sidon I didn’t— I— we don’t have to!! There’s probably a different way to- to show that we’re together, right?’ The Hylian let out a sharp laugh, high pitched and nervous. ‘There’s... There are pet names? That’s easy, I think— oh! Hugs!  _ We _ hug! That’s normal for us, we can—’

Link groaned, stopping mid-sign and instead covered his face with his hands. 

Sidon would've thought Link’s nervousness was cute, had it not been an exact enactment of the way he was feeling too. 

“Link… you have a point.”

The Hylian dropped his hands slowly, refusing to look up at the Prince, but even in the dim light of the fire, he could tell his face was red. Sidon licked his lips before continuing. 

“We do, uh, we do have to convince my father and Mipha that we actually  _ are  _ together, and being… affectionate is the best way to do it. And… considering that we have never, er,  _ interacted  _ like that before, practicing would— it would be… beneficial…”

Sidon trailed off, hating how  _ robotic  _ he sounded— as if he were giving a speech to his people back home. He was just so  _ nervous _ ; his heart was beating against his chest a million miles an hour and he was honestly surprised Link couldn’t hear it. 

The Hero nodded rapidly, at his response, but didn’t lift his hands to respond. Neither of them moved or said a thing for a few minutes, not wanting to contribute to the awkward tension already in the air. Sidon  _ certainly _ didn’t want to say a thing— he was worried that if he opened his mouth, he wasn’t going to be able to help himself, that all of his affections and endearments for Link were going to irreversibly roll off his tongue. 

Suddenly, the Hylian huffed sharply, a determined  _ okay  _ vibrating in the air. Sidon was about to ask what was wrong, before the outside of Link’s thigh pressed against his own, a burning heat that immediately took his breath away. He watched as the Hero bit his lip, before hesitantly leaning his head on the Prince’s chest. 

He knew it was wrong— to want Link so close, to crave his touch  _ so much  _ when it was all supposed to be pretend. But he couldn’t help it. 

He was so warm against him, and before he knew it Sidon had wrapped his arm around Link, pulling him impossibly closer. 

“Is this okay?” 

Sidon barely heard Link’s whisper, but  _ mmhm _ ed in response, daring to let his thumb gently caress the man’s arm. His heart swelled with an overwhelming amount of affection when he heard a soft sigh leave the Hero, his body fully relaxing against him. 

Sidon was suddenly really glad Bazz was asleep. 

They sat, unmoving, relaxing in each other’s touch. Eventually, Sidon felt Link’s head gently nuzzle him before his breathing slowed, quiet, letting him know he had fallen asleep. The Prince looked down at the man in his arms, and once he was sure that he was asleep, leaned down to press a soft, gentle kiss to the top of his head. He let his lips linger, perhaps for a bit longer than he was supposed to. 

It was such a beautiful feeling to be able to hold Link in his arms. Even though every time he saw him he hugged the man as tight as he could, he never got tired of it. He couldn’t imagine that he ever would. 

But as he looked down at him, feeling the gentleness of his presence, his heart clenched tightly; a wave of agony consumed him from head to toe. 

It was pretend for Link. This entire thing meant nothing to him but meant the world to Sidon. 

In a month, Link was going to be gone. He knew he couldn’t let himself get used to this— not if he wanted to break his own heart when it was all over. 

Because it was all just an act to the Hylian. 

* * *

“Whoa,  **_mama_ ** !”

The sudden outburst forced Sidon awake, and he lifted his head from the ground (when had he laid down?) and tried to focus his vision. Eventually, he made out the figure of Bazz staring down at him, his eyes wide and mouth agape. 

“Bazz? What’s wrong?”

A soft mumble pointed his attention down, towards Link, who was stirring slightly in his arms. 

… Who was stirring in his arms. 

In his arms. 

Link was asleep in his arms. 

Oh, Goddess. 

Sidon was struck with an  _ overwhelming  _ urge to pull Link closer; even though his front was already pressed against his back, and his arm was wrapped lazily around him. It was highly inappropriate, and he knew this, and he was desperately trying to remind himself that it was, but the warmth he was filled with from just holding the Hylian so close… it was intoxicating. 

And then, suddenly, Link got very, very stiff. 

The Hero abruptly yelped, trilling and hoarse, both pushing at Sidon and jumping back himself. He sloppily scrambled to sit up, eyes widening by the second, and face rapidly turning completely red. 

The Prince would have much more appreciated the sight of Link’s blushing face combined with his messy hair, had he not also sat up just as quickly. His face felt incredibly hot and he was certain that he was a dark teal, staring back at the Hylian with the same amount of overwhelming embarrassment

“S-Sidon!” Link squeaked,  _ mortified _ , and he made eye contact with Bazz, who was still very much staring at the two in shocked bewilderment. “I… I—I’ll be right back!”

Sidon nodded rapidly, absentmindedly. Link bolted up, stumbling slightly as he stood, but just as quickly walking off to the forest behind the alcove. 

The Prince refused to look up; his face was still hot with embarrassment, but he could tell that Bazz was still staring down at him. 

The captain slowly let out a weak, low whistle. He bounced on the balls on his feet before sighing. 

“Listen, uh… Sidon. I didn’t— I didn’t mean to intrude—”

Sidon snorted, groaning as he hid his face in his hands. “Bazz, there was absolutely no way you could have  _ not  _ intruded on… on us— not when we are out in the open like this.”

Bazz snickered, sharply cutting himself off. 

“You know, I was trying to be civil. I felt like I had to apologize for  _ something _ .”

Sidon groaned once again. Goddess, this was absolutely uncomfortable. 

“To be fair, you guys  _ were _ cuddling. Like,  _ right _ in front of me.”

“I know, Bazz—”

“Kind of rude, if I’m being honest.”

“Listen, Bazz… I am.  _ Terribly _ sorry. I did not— I did not expect us to fall asleep… like that…”

Bazz  _ mmhm _ ed with a tone of doubt. “Whatever you say, boss.”

A few beats of silence passed before the captain continued. 

“So…” He clicked his tongue. “Are we going to talk about it…? Or….?”

“Talk about what?”

Sidon stood up sharply, walking towards the river in front of them to wash his face. He didn’t need to— he just  _ desperately  _ wanted to avoid this conversation. 

“You know about what, Sidon.” 

The Prince crouched, splashing water onto his face. It’s cooling effect helped, but if he had just focused a little harder on the water, he wouldn’t have heard Bazz’s next question. 

“Are you guys dating?” 

Sidon decided that rapidly splashing his face with water again was a really good idea, actually. 

“Listen… Prince Sidon, if you are, and want to keep it a secret, I’m not going to tell anyone. I’m the captain of the Royal guard; My duty is to protect you. Of course I wouldn’t go around spreading rumors.” Bazz hesitated, before continuing, softer than before. “I’m also your friend, Sidon.”

Sidon froze and stared at the river in front of him. He swallowed thickly. 

“You can trust me.”

The Prince felt absolutely guilty for how quiet the captain’s voice had gotten, and when he looked up at him, Bazz was biting his lip, earnestly looking down at him. 

Shit. 

Sidon sighed and stood up, turning to properly look at Bazz. 

“Of course. I know. You are one of my oldest friends— I would be a fool to think I could not trust you.”

The captain watched intently as Sidon made his way back over to the alcove. The Prince focused himself on putting on jewelry that he had taken off last night, which had proven to have been particularly uncomfortable to sleep in. 

Sidon was unsure of telling Bazz the plan. 

He and Link had been steadfast on keeping it between them and King Dorephan and Mipha. 

But the Prince knew the captain. He trusted him. With his life. 

“I got myself into quite the predicament, Bazz.” 

He looked over at Bazz, but he was looking past Sidon, and when the Prince turned around, the smile that fell onto his face was practically liquid, considering how easily it had taken over his expression. 

Link was standing behind them, hair dripping with water, implying that he had jumped into water (most likely the pond nearby), but as the rays of morning sunlight hit him, the droplets reflected the light so ethereally; he looked like an angel. 

Sidon decided that he was  _ really _ going to have to work on focusing his thoughts whenever he so much as looked at Link. 

‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you guys were in the middle of a conversation— ’

Sidon shook his head. “No worries, Link. I… I was actually about to tell Bazz. About the plan.”

The Hero stared at him, glanced at the captain, then reverted his eyes back to him again. He was biting at his lip— Sidon wondered what that lip would feel like against his own. 

_ Wow _ . Goddess, he needs to  _ calm down _ . 

‘Are you sure, Sidon?’

He nodded in response and watched as the Hylian sauntered over and slowly sat back down in his spot from last night. 

The other two Zora’s followed, and Bazz stared at the two, concern written all over his face. 

Sidon sighed, cracking his knuckles before letting them fall to his lap. He straightened and looked up at the captain. They had been friends for years; decades. Practically a century. 

He trusted him. 

He could trust him. 

He eventually told Bazz as many details as he could, and where he faltered, Link (gratefully) jumped in to help out. The captain had surprisingly stayed quiet throughout the entire explanation; the only responses he gave were either hums or nods of his head. 

Sidon had never seen him so quiet before, and he was about to worry about him before the captain opened his mouth to speak. 

“Right. I see.” Bazz rubbed at his chin, nodding slowly, then pointed his attention to the two of them. “But I’m kind of finding it hard to find an excuse for you guys to have cuddled in front of my  _ poor, innocent eyes _ .”

The little shit. 

Link guffawed, covering his face as he did, a flush of red immediately taking over. Sidon snorted, and in a moment of exasperation, threw a nearby rock at the captain. 

“Hey! It’s a  _ genuine concern _ !”

“I  _ cannot  _ believe you Bazz, after all we entrust you with, you go on to chirp—”

“What! I have a right to protect my little eyeballs from such  _ indecent acts of exposure _ —”

“ _ Indecent acts of exposure _ ?! Bazz, we weren’t  _ doing anything _ !”

“ **_How was I supposed to know? Maybe you were! Think about it from my point of view, Prince Sidon!_ ** ”

“Unbelievable.”

“Yeah! It was!”

Link was giggling throughout the entire exchange, the tears in his eyes proof of his utter enjoyment of the banter between the two. The lilting sound was the only thing keeping Sidon from losing his mind; he huffed as he stood up, rolling his eyes when the captain stood up too. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Bazz was interrupted by a sudden snort. He was  _ not  _ sorry. “I promise, with my entire being, that I will protect your secret, Prince Sidon, Master Link.”

He bowed to each of them as their titles rolled off of his tongue. Sidon smiled at him, a wave of relief washing over him. 

Link stood up, smiling at Bazz as he walked over to pat his shoulder. Well, as much as he could, considering their size difference. 

‘Thank you, Bazz. It’s good to know that you are on our side.’

The captain beamed at the praise, and the trio stood for a bit, still high on the relief of confessions before gathering their things to continue their journey back to the Domain.

* * *

Epona had been properly put in the stables when Link turned back to the two Zoras, wiping his hands off on his pants.

“You guys are going to tell him right now?”

Sidon’s eyes flickered over to look at Bazz, who had been feeding off their nervous energy, and as a result, was fiddling with the spear in his hands.

‘Yes. After we leave here… we’re on our way to the throne room.’

The Prince took in a deep breath, trying to ground himself. Maybe it had been the fact that he didn’t get much sleep on Saturday. Maybe it had been the fact that their trek yesterday had been exhausting. Maybe it had been the fact that he had gotten so  _ close  _ to Link that night. But he felt a little sick; his stomach was turning and his head felt light on his shoulders. He had no idea how his father would react— would he even believe them?

A pair of snaps redirected his attention to the Hylian in front of him. Link looked up at him and gave him a soft, reassuring smile, eyes warm and gentle; almost immediately, the edges of Sidon’s vision lost its haziness. He returned the smile as best he could.

‘Ready, Sidon?’

“Yes. Yes, I do think so.”

Bazz walked with them to the stairs leading to the throne room and returned to his station, but not before sending them two thumbs up and a bright smile. 

Link and Sidon trudged up the stairs alongside each other, walking into the throne room with as much confidence as they could muster. King Dorephan, at the sound of their footsteps, looked up. He broke out into a wide grin.

Time froze as they walked onto the platform in front of the King, and had it not been for the knowledge that Link was right there beside him, Sidon would have fainted. He couldn’t tell if it was the lighting of the throne room or his eyes, but his head was spinning.

“Sidon! Good to see you back safe and sound, my boy.” 

The Prince bowed his head slightly, out of habit, but didn’t respond— his breath felt too uneven to do that and he was focusing on breathing in and out, counting them as he did. 

“And Link! It’s been a while since we’ve last met, Hero of Hyrule. May I ask what brings you to our Domain?”

Link smiled up at him before turning his attention to Sidon, nodding as inconspicuously as he could. He leaned into him, and just as they had planned on the way here, the Prince wrapped an arm around the Hylian, pulling him flush against his side. Their gazes left each other, and they let them rest once again on King Dorephan. 

It was now or never.

“Well, father… do you remember asking to meet my partner?”

His father stilled, looking between the two, and had it not been for the smile still plastered on his face, his expression would have been unreadable. 

“Yes…?” He responded, warily. 

Sidon swallowed thickly. “That is why Link is here, father. We’re together. He— Link is my partner.”

The smile on King Dorephan’s faltered, a soft  _ huh  _ escaping him as he sat back against the throne. His eyes were shifting between the two, perplexed. 

Link stiffened against him, and to calm him (as well as himself), Sidon rubbed circles with his thumb on his arm and mentally cheered when the Hylian relaxed, slightly.

“You’re…. partners.”

“Yes.”

King Dorephan stared at them momentarily before he broke out into a wheeze, doubling over and slapping his knee with his hand, his howling laughter resonating throughout the room and ringing in Sidon’s ears. 

He was laughing. At them. 

His father was laughing at them.

This…. This was not the reaction Sidon had been expecting.

After what seemed like forever, King Dorephan hacked before wiping tears away from his eyes.

“My apologies, boys, how inappropriate of me. Give me a second, I almost coughed up an organ there.” He was chuckling, and  _ hoo! _ ed as he finally calmed down. 

“… Father?”

“You two caught me off guard! I had, absolutely  _ no _ idea that you two were in love.”

‘If I may—’ 

“Hold on, boy! I am just so surprised.” He giggled; He never giggled. “How  _ utterly  _ ironic it is that the two most difficult men to court in Hyrule have fallen in love. This is  _ great _ .”

Link pulled away from Sidon, which prompted him to look down at him; the Hylian was bright red, eyes widening by the second.

‘King Dorephan, I don’t know what you are talking about—”

“Oh, no need to be humble, Link! I have business with  _ every corner  _ of Hyrule— you think I haven’t heard about how much of a heartbreaker you are? Turning down dates, proposals, et cetera.”

Link stilled, his hands trembling mid-air.

“Father—”

“Now, if you pull that on my  _ son _ , however—”

Sidon’s face felt hot. He was miffed. “ **_Father!!_ ** ”

King Dorephan turned his gaze to look at him, surprised. “Sidon this whole thing should be a compliment to you— if I’m not wrong you’re the only one whos  _ ever  _ successfully courted Link!”

Sidon groaned, covering his face with one of his hands and slowly letting it drag down. 

“Father, with all due respect  _ please _ change the subject.”

King Dorephan guffawed, waving his hand playfully. “Alright, alright. Well, Link, it is an honor for you to be the one Sidon has courted. Will you be staying with us for the month?”

Link nodded hastily, wringing his hands and shyly looking up at the King before responding.

‘Yes, I am. I hope that is not too much of a problem?’

“Of course not! You are always welcome.” King Dorephan switched his gaze to his son. “Sidon, why don’t you take Link’s bags up to your room?”

Sidon inhaled sharply, his facing turning a dark teal. 

Zoras never let couples stay in a room together if they weren’t married (his mind raced at the thought of being married to Link); he looked up at his father, eyes wide.

“I— Father, I thought you would have asked that Link stay in the guest bedroom?”

“ **_Pfft_ ** ! Why would I do that? It’s not like either of you can get  _ pregnant _ !”

At that, Sidon decided that he had had enough of his father teasing them. He wrapped his arm around Link again and ushered them out of the throne room and into the hallway on the side. His father was wheezing, again, behind him. 

“Dinner is in two hours by the way!”

The Prince slammed the door shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i rewrote this chapter like three times, aaahh
> 
> also, yes, sidon and link got carried away on their first night together. they are just. yearning so badly for each other the minute they got close they stuck like magnets.
> 
> by the way! thank you to everyone who left such sweet comments on the first chapter!! <3


	3. Chapter 3

“Aha!” 

  
Link was panting for air as he slowed to a stop, glaring up at the Prince in front of him and getting a toothy smile in response. ‘Sidon, you know that I’m perfectly capable of carrying my bags on my own, right?’

He wasn’t going to lie; it irked him that not only had Sidon beaten him in grabbing his bags first, but he was now _insisting_ on carrying them up to his room. While he wasn’t one to boast about his titles (except when it got him a free drink), he was the _Hero of Hyrule_ for goddess’s sake. He was pretty sure that was more than enough qualification for him to be able to carry two bags up three sets of stairs, even if they _were_ inhumanely long. 

Sidon guffawed at him, leaving Link to begrudgingly follow him as he headed up the stairs.

“Yes, I know, Link. But, to be fair, you _are_ my guest, and it would look bad if I let you carry your own bags,” Sidon glanced down at him and winked once Link looked back. “You are also my partner for the month. I am being _chivalrous_.”

As the image of Sidon winking at him ingrained itself in his mind, Link ducked his head in hopes of hiding the blush currently taking over his face. ‘Wow, _so_ romantic, Sidon. I’m practically swooning.’ 

He was. He _was_ swooning and it was taking a lot of concentration for him to not miss a step going up the stairs. Goddess, why was it so easy for Sidon to turn him into a puddle doing _the smallest things?_

The Prince was laughing beside him, making Link’s heart stutter even more than it already was. He got lost in his thoughts, of what even _he_ wasn’t sure— it was very hard to focus with Sidon beside him, but before he knew it they had come to a stop. Sidon unlocked one of the two towering doors in front of them and motioned for him to go in first. 

Link hummed as he examined the room; he had expected a little bit more _extravagance_ than was currently present, considering this was a _palace_ , but he was pleasantly surprised. The softness of the room, the homeliness of it, despite how spacious it was— it was all very much Sidon. His room had four, almost church-like, windows with sheer silk curtains, positioned in a way that hinted of frequent use. The light from the domain filtered in through them, adding a soft, genial atmosphere to the room. There were double doors leading to a balcony outside, and at the sight Link wondered how many nights Sidon had spent out there, staring at the stars when Link was in Hateno looking up at them too.

A small, quaint library in the corner piqued his interest, and he walked over, looking at the titles of the books as he caressed the top of the sofas there. He noted that all the books had creases in their bindings— some more than others, and he smiled to himself, imagining Sidon reading each one with the same amount of enthusiasm. He turned slowly, noticing the sleeping pool, the various wooden armoires and dressers, and a door that he assumed led to the bathroom. As he spun, his eye caught Sidon sitting on the bed, and jumped when he realized that the Prince was staring at him. In an attempt to skid to a stop he stumbled over his feet, and he straightened as quickly as he could, desperately ignoring the warmth rising to his cheeks. He gave Sidon a cheeky smile, which was met with a laugh and a cocked eyebrow. 

“Are you judging the way I have decorated my room, or is it to your liking?”

Link hummed, sauntering over to him. ‘Even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t tell you.’

“Was that supposed to be a yes?” Sidon laughed as Link sat next to him, the way his eyes crinkled when he did doing funny things to Link’s heart. 

‘Well, it’s not supposed to be a _no._ ’

The Hylian realized too late that he had sat _too_ close to the Prince; their thighs were brushing against each other and the sensation was unbearably vehement. Link decided that falling onto his back was the next best course of action, and he smiled when he heard Sidon laugh above him. 

“By the way… Link, are you sure you are okay with sleeping here? I can move your bags to the guest room, and explain to my father that—”

‘Sidon, I promise that I am absolutely okay sleeping here. Besides, wouldn’t it look suspicious if we slept in different rooms?’

“… I suppose it would… I am sorry, though, that you have to sleep here.”

Link shrugged. ‘It’s fine.’

Sidon paused for a bit before sighing, hesitantly standing up. “I do not mean to leave you alone so soon, but I promised the guards I would see them as soon as I came back.”

Link stood up, shrugging as he followed Sidon to the door. ‘I’ll be _fine._ I won’t even reorganize your furniture.’

The Prince breathed out a chuckle, and as he reached to turn the doorknob, Link put a hand on his wrist, frowning. 

“Sidon, hold on—” 

“Hm? What—”

He was cut off by a sharp, shaky inhale, but Link barely even noticed it as he pulled at his arms, forcing him to hunch over. 

“L-Link, _w—_ ”

“Your cravat is crooked,” Link explained, reaching his hands up to fumble at the offending fabric, oblivious to Sidon’s growing blush. “And it’s _bothering_ me.”

After a few seconds, Link patted the cravat, satisfied with his handiwork. He grinned as he placed his hands on Sidon’s arms, freezing when he realized exactly how _close_ the Prince was to him.

He made a mental note to himself that _pulling_ someone towards him makes that person get _closer_ to him. 

That was probably vital information. 

He swallowed thickly as he glanced up, gasping softly as he stared into the golden eyes in front of him, glittering with the rays of sun filtering in through the windows. His hands trembled against Sidon’s arms but he couldn’t seem to pull himself away— even with the rapid heat taking over his face. 

He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from acting on any of the aggravating thoughts racing through his head, eyes widening when he realized neither of them had said or done anything for a _while._

Fuck, how long had he just stood there _staring_ at him?

He stumbled back, putting a good five feet between them. At the same time, Sidon's eyes widened and he straightened up, looking anywhere and everywhere _but_ him. Link bit his lip as he fumbled with his hands, palms still burning with the feeling of Sidon’s skin against them.

“ I-I’m sorry Sidon, I— I just. I- Um—” 

“Uh, no! It is okay, Link, I-I did not— Er…”

“… I just. Your— y-your cravat… And—”

“Right! Yes— no— _yes!_ I— um… I should. I should _go_ uh… the guards! I— yes.” 

Sidon stilled, swallowed audibly, and in a swift movement was out of the room before Link could even process that he had opened the door. It clicked as it locked behind him and he looked down at his hands, lamely sitting down where he had been standing. 

Why did he do that. 

_Why did he do that?_

That was— that was too much. 

**Fuck.** Was he _trying_ to give himself away? Could he not be such a thirsty bitch for _one fucking second?_

Link groaned as he hid his face in his hands, absolutely mortified. His ears twitched in annoyance and it only made him more flustered at his audacity. His uncooperative mind, _obviously_ not reading the room, wandered to thinking about how _close_ they had been. Link had been able to smell the Prince’s cologne so clearly, and thinking about it only led to thinking about how easy it would’ve been to just lean in and lock his lips with Sidon’s. 

But Sidon had looked so _stiff_ and _bewildered_ and remembering that made Link want to sink into the floor and never come back. 

And then he thought about how he has to _sleep_ here. Goddess, he hadn’t expected to have to sleep in the same _room_ as Sidon, and he _knows_ he told him that it was _fine_ but he still mentally cursed at King Dorephan for suggesting it in the first place. Recalling that morning only made his face feel hotter; they had just meant to practice, and Link woke up being a little spoon. If it hadn’t been for Bazz staring at them, he was sure he would’ve just fallen back asleep. How was he supposed to _sleep here with Sidon every single night?_

No, not— not _with_ Sidon. _In the same room_. He was supposed to sleep here _in the_ _same room_ as Sidon. _Not_ … oh, goddess, his face felt even hotter than it already was.

Getting carried away in his thoughts. 

_Smooth_.

He cursed under his breath, shooting up onto his feet and stomping over to the bed. Pathetically, he threw his bags onto it and tried _very hard_ to focus on unpacking, berating himself as he did. 

“I’m an idiot. I’m an _idiot._ I’m an **_idiot._ **”

He paused halfway through undoing the zipper, inhaling sharply as dread seeped into every single inch of his body. 

It was the first day.

It was only the first day and Link was already losing his mind, and more importantly, was already throwing any sense of control to the wind. He couldn’t just _leave_ and hide in Hateno for a while like he did every other time he slipped up around Sidon. What’s worse is that he agreed to an entire _month_ of this. An entire month of dancing around the Prince and desperately trying to ignore how easily he made him feel like putty.

Oh, goddess, he’d fucked up. 

He’d fucked up _really bad._

* * *

Sidon had returned in time to join Link in the walk down to dinner, and luckily, it seemed to Link that everything was fine and dandy between them. The Hylian had spent the last hour switching from panicking to obsessively unpacking and organizing his things; he only hoped he didn’t _look_ like that’s what he had been doing. But, judging from Sidon’s poise, he was in the clear. _Score._

Sidon was in the middle of telling him what he had talked about with his guards when he was rudely interrupted by Link’s stomach loudly reminding him that it was, in fact, dinner time. He erupted into boisterous laughter, and the Hylian blushed deeply, shoving at his arm when he didn’t stop.

‘I’m _hungry,_ Sidon! Leave me _alone—_ ’

“We had a big lunch, Link,” Sidon teased, grinning down at him. “You sound _famished_ though.”

Link couldn’t help but grin at Sidon’s snort, and he huffed at him as soon as he calmed down. ‘You should’ve told me how _quippy_ you are before I said yes to being your boyfriend.’

The phrase came out before Link could stop himself, but Sidon didn’t seem to notice, though, because he only broke out into a guffaw. 

“Would you have said no if I had?”

‘I refuse to respond to that.’

“You would not have, would you? I know; I am just _irresistible._ ”

Link snorted and looked up at Sidon, cocking an eyebrow. ‘Says who?’ 

“Says all the proposals I have received.” 

Sidon smirked and winked at him. The expression made Link’s head feel dizzy, but he kept his composure enough to roll his eyes at him, scoffing as he did. 

‘The number of proposals a man receives does not _define_ his desirability, especially when the man in question is _royalty._ ’ 

He stole a look at Sidon, who was quickly changing expressions from confusion, to indignation, to humiliation. The Hylian barked out a laugh, almost tripping down the stairs as he did. 

“Well, that was quite _rude,_ ” Sidon muttered under his breath, which only made Link have to steady himself against the Prince as he guffawed. 

‘You have an extremely well-hidden ego about how many people try to court you, and you think I’m _not_ gonna call you out on it?’

Sidon chuckled breathily, looking down at him. “You should’ve told me how _quippy_ you are before I asked you to be my boyfriend.” 

Hearing that phrase come out of Sidon’s mouth pathetically turned him into a puddle, even more so when the dining room came into view, and Sidon wrapped an arm around him. He let himself lean into it and boldly interlocked his fingers with the hand on his shoulder, his mind echoing _your boyfriend._

Goddess, touching Sidon like this was still very much overwhelming for Link; he kept having to remind himself that he was meant to be doing the Prince a favor, and wasn’t _actually_ supposed to be enjoying it. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t help it. It was difficult to act like he was acting when it was so easy for the two of them to lean into each other, to laugh, and hold each other as if they’ve been doing it for years. Either he was _really_ touch starved, or he liked Sidon a _lot_ more than he thought he did.

He decided not to think about it. 

As they stepped through the threshold, King Dorephan all but cooed at them as they walked over to the table. 

“Aw, look at you two. So _cute_.”

“Good evening, father.” Sidon greeted, grinning up at him as he pulled out Link’s chair for him.

The Hylian simpered fondly at him, mumbling out a _thank you_ as he sat down. He shivered as Sidon trailed his hand across his shoulders, letting it slide off of him. 

“You know,” King Dorephan chuckled as Sidon took his seat beside Link. “Earlier, I was wondering if you two were _hectoring_ me. This was all very sudden, you know.”

Link frowned, suddenly leery of what he was implying. ‘… What do you mean, King Dorephan?’

“I didn’t know if you two were pulling my leg, so to speak. Just a few months ago, Mipha and I were teasing Sidon for not having a partner, and all of a sudden, he pulls up with the Hero of Hyrule and says he’s _courted_ you?” King Dorephan chortled. “It was like, _what_ , did my son ask Link to pretend to be his _boyfriend_ so we would get off his back?”

Sidon sharply inhaled, stiffening beside him. Link didn’t even hesitate before he swiftly placed a hand on top of the Prince’s, which was resting on his knee. He gave him a gentle squeeze and surreptitiously gave him a small, (hopefully) comforting smile. The Prince relaxed slightly and turned his palm so that he could return the squeeze, trembling as he did. With his other hand, Sidon picked up the glass of water in front of him and gulped it down as fast as he could while King Dorephan kept rambling.

“But then, I was like, _no_ , no, Sidon isn’t _that_ pathetic.”

A strained noise escaped the Prince, and the glass slammed onto the table as he began to cough violently. Link rapidly removed his hand from his knee to slap at his back, cursing mentally; either King Dorephan was crazy good at guessing, or he _already fucking knew._

Sidon ended his coughing fit with a shaky exhale, wiping away the water that had dribbled down his chin. “P-Pardon, father?”

King Dorephan guffawed, his son’s embarrassment apparently the most entertaining thing in the world. Movement in the corner of his eye told Link that the kitchen staff had come out, and since he was the only one focused enough, he thanked them as they placed the food down at the table. They were all smiling, puzzled at the commotion, and the expressions on everyone’s faces. 

He cringed and took the distraction to boldly interlock his fingers with Sidon’s under the table, desperately trying to ground both of them. It seemed to work, at least a little bit, because Sidon squeezed his hand back, gently. King Dorephan’s laugh echoed throughout the room, and just as quickly as the staff had come in, they left. 

“My, what’s all this ruckus?”

The three of them sharply switched their focus to the door behind them. Link inhaled sharply, his turn to tighten his grasp on Sidon’s hand. The Prince’s thumb gently rubbed slow circles on his skin, but even then he could tell that he was feeling the same overwhelming panic course through him too.

“Oh!” Mipha paused, frowning slightly as she took in the scene in front of her. “Link, I wasn’t… aware you were visiting…? Please forgive me for not greeting you earlier—”

“Mipha! Please, join us, we have _wonderful_ news!”

The Princess warily walked over to her seat beside King Dorephan, in front of Link. “Sidon, why didn’t you tell me Link was visiting?”

Her intonation was accusatory, and she was frowning slightly at the Prince as she sat. The Hylian had to take a very, very deep breath to try to calm his racing heart.

It didn’t work. 

He completely forgot that they had to do all this in front of _Mipha,_ too. He groaned mentally, and his face was growing hotter by the second. A hundred years ago, Link had rejected her _and_ come out to her. It was one thing that he was _gay,_ but to now be (fake) dating her _brother?!_ Link was almost certain that he was going to be struck down by goddess Hylia herself for this. 

Although, he tried to remind himself that at the time, Mipha had immediately and unmistakably understood. He had since been assured ad nauseum that everything was completely fine, especially when he came back to fight Vah Ruta, but he couldn’t help the pool of guilt collecting in his stomach.

_Shit._

Sidon stammered. “I… uh…I—”

King Dorephan sharply motioned towards the two of them, _painfully_ oblivious to the awkward tension at the table. “They’re _gay!_ And dating! My gay son and _your_ gay brother is dating! A gay man! Who happens to be _Link!_ _Who is gay!_ ”

Mipha snapped her head to look at the two, eyes widening and a bewildered smile spreading across her face. “Oh, my! That’s _wonderful!_ Congra—”

“My gay son is dating Link!”

“F-Father, you don’t have to keep—” Sidon cut in, immediately being cut off again. 

“He’s such a treasure! A _shame_ he wasn’t straight, right, Mipha?”

Everyone but King Dorephan stiffened, and a heavy silence immediately falling between them all. 

Link froze before letting out a trilling chuckle, his voice sharp and shrill. 

Oh, no. 

Oh _no,_ this was _awkward._

Still gripping Sidon’s hand under the table, he let his gaze fall on the food in front of him. He let go of the last strands of his dignity before hastily taking a big bite of one of the rolls on his plate. 

Mipha’s eyes shot over to him, and she quickly followed his lead, cutting into her serving of fish and shoving it into her mouth. Beside him, Sidon cleared his throat and exhaled shakily, letting go of Link’s hand to copy them. 

“Oh, _eager_ aren’t we?” King Dorephan chuckled and changed his focus to eating as well, which Link was eternally grateful for. 

Goddess. Link respected King Dorephan very much— he was such a kind and well-meaning man— but **_what the fuck._ **

The group ate, painstakingly silent, and Link couldn’t take it. He grabbed the glass of wine beside him and took a long swig, desperate to feel _something_ other than humiliation. When that didn’t work, he took a spoonful of potatoes and practically shoved it down his throat, humming dramatically.

“These potatoes are great! They’re— they’re uh, delicious. _Scrumptious,_ even. They’re the best potatoes I’ve ever had, I think. And— and _I_ make potatoes.”

His voice had come out hoarse, most likely from how mortified he was. He was barely even present enough to process the squeeze Sidon had given his knee. 

“I’ll be sure to pass that on to our chef, thank you, Link.” King Dorephan replied, giving him a smile that was most likely meant to be comforting but just made Link even more nervous.

Silence fell between the four of them again. Link wanted to beat his head against the wall, but he figured that would be kind of rude.

“So!” Mipha blurted, looking up at Link and Sidon, smiling. “This was _very_ sudden!”

King Dorephan hummed in agreement beside her, and Link was suddenly extremely grateful the King’s mouth was full of food. 

“We know how you two met, but may I ask how you two knew you were in love?”

Shit. _Shit_. Shit shit shit shit shit.

He and Sidon never actually figured out a timeline _or_ a story. Why didn’t they think of coming up with a story? That was like, the _first thing_ they should’ve done. Link chewed at his lip, cursing mentally and trying to weigh his options. He could lie and hope that he was good enough of an actor that it came across genuine.

Or, he could tell the truth. 

He took in a deep, shaky breath, trying to hype himself up. Lying would be risky. He needed to be honest to himself— he’s not _that_ good of an actor. And there was no harm in telling the truth if no one knew he was, right? He lifted his hands to sign, trembling, forcing himself to get over the mortification of having to confess his feelings out loud. And in front of his crush’s _family,_ no less. 

‘… Well, I know how _I_ fell in love. It… it was actually really early on.’ Link laughed quietly, faking as much aplomb as he could. ‘First of all, when I first met Sidon, I liked him from the get-go— I mean, _look_ at him.’

Mipha giggled, her elbows on the table as she rested her head on her hands, looking genuinely enthralled. Link relaxed slightly, taking note of the way King Dorephan was smiling at him as he took a sip of wine.

‘But… after the Vah Ruta fight, Sidon was so, _so_ happy. And… and after I had come back out he immediately hugged me and spun me around… ’ Link laughed softly at the memory, feeling weightless, just like he had in the moment. ‘And I just remember looking into his eyes, seeing how beautiful they were when he was happy, how they sparkled when he laughed. He was _glowing._ He was praising me so much and… and I… I knew.’

Link bashfully glanced up at Sidon and was met with those same eyes he had just described. He stopped breathing at Sidon’s expression— his eyes were so soft and he was smiling _so gently_ at him. He was looking at _him_ like that, and it was almost too much until Link remembered that they were pretending. 

Sidon was acting. 

He took a deep breath and distractedly smiled back up at him, desperately trying to snap himself back to reality.

“That’s when I knew too,” Sidon spoke softly, practically under his breath, not breaking eye contact as he did. “That’s… that’s when I knew I was in love with you.”

The words that had flowed out of Sidon’s mouth reverberated throughout Link’s mind— soft, tender, and musically velvety. His heart swelled in his chest, and he was struck dumb by the overwhelming wave of love and yearning that was pulling him under and into the embrace of Sidon’s gaze. They stared at each other, and Link suddenly realized he wasn’t even sure how much time had passed since Sidon last talked.

Was time even moving anymore? 

His hand lifted itself up, intent on cupping the Prince’s face and pulling him in, desperately _needing_ those words to be spoken against his lips. He tried to remind himself that it was just acting, that every single minute of this was just theatrics. They were trying to trick King Dorephan and Mipha into thinking they were together.

But he couldn’t help it. He wanted to taste every syllable— he wanted to know exactly how Sidon’s mouth moved as he said those words that turned him into putty. 

Luckily for his superego, unluckily for his id, his bubble popped and he snapped back to reality. He hastily guided his hand’s trajectory to rest on top of Sidon’s, in full view of the entire table. He wondered if Sidon could feel the ache that was thrumming in his veins. 

The Prince kept the Hylian’s gaze as he agonizingly slowly pulled their hands up to his face, pressing his lips against Link’s knuckles. He felt electric against his skin and it made Link dizzy, unable to concentrate on anything but the feeling of Sidon’s lips. His throat felt tight— he was almost certain that he was about to faint at any minute, but was quickly grounded when King Dorephan _aww_!ed at them. 

“I don’t know why I ever doubted the authenticity of you two. This,” King Dorephan motioned at the two of them, smiling candidly. “ _This_ is nothing _but_ love.”

Link smiled shyly and kept his hand in Sidon’s as he lowered them back to the table. His heart was beating against his chest and he couldn’t even really focus on whatever King Dorephan was saying now. He just smiled.

A quick glance at Sidon let him know that he was smiling, too.

* * *

Link walked out of the bathroom, the steam from his hot shower following him as he toweled his hair dry. He had pulled on a (faded) black hooded sweater that he had bought in Hateno months ago, and it was long enough that he didn’t feel any shame in the fact that he was only wearing briefs underneath. It wasn’t his _usual_ sleepwear, but he wasn’t about to think about it _or_ let Sidon know.

The rest of dinner had been, comparatively, uneventful. King Dorephan had prodded them a bit more about their “relationship,” with Mipha asking questions every now and then as well. Her easy-going composure towards them had lessened the remorse that had bubbled up in his conscience, but the weight of his actions still lingered in the back of his mind. 

He removed his towel, lifting his head to actually see where he was going, and noticed Sidon staring at him from one of the sofas on the other side of the room. Link smirked, slightly, combing his fingers through his damp hair.

“I can tell you’re not reading, Sidon.” 

The Prince chuckled breathily, shut the book he was holding, and placed it back in its spot on the bookshelf. “Mm, guilty as charged.”

Link grinned as he pulled his hair back into a bun, albeit messily. Some of his bangs stubbornly stuck out but he didn’t care enough to redo it. 

He hopped onto the right side of the water bed, giggling as it undulated slightly beneath him. Sidon had walked over and sat on the edge of the left side, laughing with him, and once the ripples had stopped he hummed quietly. 

“You are not wearing pants.” Sidon pointed out. 

“Nope!” Link responded, exaggerating the _p_ with a pop. He raised an eyebrow up at Sidon. “Is it bothering you? I can put on pants if it is.”

The Prince shook his head. “No need. I was just letting you know in case you had forgotten.”

Link rolled his eyes at Sidon’s quip and shoved at his arm gently. “I think I’d realize if I had accidentally not put pants on, _thank you very much._ ”

He let his hand slide off of the Prince, thoughts immediately racing back to dinner— to how Sidon had looked at him, to how he had pathetically _melted_ under the Prince’s gaze. He huffed quietly and pulled the hood of the sweater over his head, tugging on the strings until his face was hidden.

Sidon chuckled breathily and poked Link’s nose, which was the only part of his face that was even remotely visible. 

“Hey! _Rude!_ ” 

“Your nose is the only thing showing and you think I am just going to pass up the opportunity?”

Link lifted his head slightly so that his mouth was showing, and he stuck his tongue out in the direction of Sidon’s voice. He grinned when he earned a laugh, faltering when he felt Sidon’s weight leave the bed.

He loosened his grip on the strings, enough so that he could peek out. He cocked his head slightly as the Prince sauntered over to one of the dressers, leisurely removing the regalia that covered his body. 

He felt _perverse,_ watching Sidon take them off so slowly, and he quickly pulled on the strings again, an all too familiar warmth taking over his face. 

Metal clinked against the dresser and a few drawers opened and closed before it got silent again. Link picked up on the sound of Sidon padding over and frowned when Sidon walked past the bed. 

“Good night, Link.”

The Hylian hastily pulled off the hood of his sweater. “And where are _you_ going?”

“Hm?”

“Where are you going?” Link repeated, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Sidon paused, squinting warily. “… To bed… ?” He responded, stupidly. 

Link huffed at him, a smile spreading across his face. “Am I not on the bed? Or do I not know what a bed is?”

Sidon sputtered slightly, a flush of teal spreading across his face. Link weirdly felt a small sense of pride because of it. “… But _you_ are on that bed.”

“And?”

“… I— uh, I do not— Link, I do not want to make you uncomfortable… ”

Sidon was switching his gaze between him and the sleeping pool a few feet away, and Link’s heart skipped a few beats as he watched him. 

His mind was _screaming_ at him to let it go, to let Sidon sleep in the pool so that he didn’t have to sleep in the same bed as him. They were _pretending_ for goddess’s sake; this “relationship” wasn’t _real_ . He _knew_ that. 

He knew he should shrug and go to sleep, alone, shouldn’t risk exposing his feelings— or at least, even more than he already had at dinner.

But the bed was so massive. 

And Sidon was _right there._

He chewed at his lip and opened his mouth, dead set on saying _okay, good night!_ but all that came out, in a whisper, was,

“Stay with me, Sidon.” 

The Prince stared at him for a bit, silent and unmoving. 

Link was terrified that he had stepped over the line, and was about to laugh and say he was kidding when Sidon finally moved, walking back over to his side of the bed. He lifted the comforter and slipped in, quietly, and Link copied him, his heart beating rapidly against his chest. 

He mentally admonished himself for being so _masochistic._

The two men were on their sides, facing each other, and Link swallowed audibly before unconsciously scooting a little closer to the Prince. 

_Shit._

He couldn’t scoot back— that was _rude._ But… this was okay, right? They had (accidentally) practiced like this the first night of the trip to the Domain; they had already _done_ this. 

So why did it feel like it was so much more _intimate_ and _profound_ than it did that night? 

Link’s thoughts raced as he gazed into Sidon’s eyes, his breath hitching as Sidon suddenly cupped his face. His touch was gentle, and Link sighed before letting his eyes flutter close, letting himself pretend that Sidon meant it the way _he_ wanted him to. 

The sound of the Prince taking a deep breath filled his ears, and he jumped as he felt a tentative hand on his waist, snapping his eyes open as Sidon pulled him in closer. 

Link was convinced that Sidon was able to hear his heartbeat now; there was no way _he couldn’t._ Not when it was beating this fast, not when it was pinballing off his ribs and his throat. 

He felt his mouth go dry as Sidon wrapped his arms around him, pulling him even _closer,_ chest to chest, _way_ closer than they’d ever been. Had he not been so focused on his own panic, he would’ve realized that Sidon was breathing shakily, trying to catch his breath.

“Is this okay?” 

Sidon murmured against the top of his head and it took everything Link had not to scream. No. _No,_ they— they were supposed to be _practicing._

This, Link couldn’t— Link couldn’t _pretend_ like this, not with Sidon holding him so close, not with his arms wrapped around his waist. Not with Sidon’s lips resting on the top of his head, not with his hands placed against the Prince’s chest, debating whether or not to push him away.

Not with everything Link had confessed at dinner. 

Not with the way his heart had ached when Sidon had looked at him like he _actually_ loved him.

Not with _everything_ he felt— with everything he _was_ feeling.

Link exhaled shakily. 

“Yes.” He whispered.

He relaxed in Sidon’s arms, and let his head rest against the Prince’s chest. His eyes fluttered shut as he was lulled into a deep, deep sleep.

* * *

Link woke up just as the first rays of sunlight were streaming into the room. He startled slightly, remembering that he was in Sidon’s bed and that the Prince’s arms were still wrapped around him. His embrace was warm, and that combined with the steady rhythm of his breathing almost made Link fall back asleep. 

Gathering his strength, he reluctantly pulled away enough to see that Sidon was sleeping peacefully; his expression was calm and if he looked close enough, he thought he could see a hint of a smile on his face. The sun caressed his skin, making it seem like he was practically glowing, and Link felt his breath hitch.

Sidon was _beautiful._

He briefly wondered what it would be like to wake up in his arms every morning.

Before he could stop himself, he strained his neck and lightly pressed his lips to Sidon’s cheek. The Prince’s skin felt so soft against his lips, and he let his eyes flutter shut, daring to press a little harder. After a few seconds, his heart feeling funny and his head feeling fuzzy, he pulled away. 

He began to try to worm his way out of the Prince’s arms without waking him up, but about five minutes in, the Zora growled quietly. Link stiffened and sharply gasped when the Prince pulled him back in vigorously.

Link couldn’t help but break out into a laugh when he realized Sidon had buried his face in his chest. 

“Sidon, I have to go make breakfast. I promised your father I would make breakfast.”

The Prince grumbled and tightened his grasp around the Hylian’s waist, making him giggle and rest his hands on his fins. He caressed them gently, his smile feeling like syrup when it made Sidon shiver. 

“You don’t _have_ to make breakfast.” He mumbled, his voice muffled against Link’s chest. The Hylian chuckled at the feeling of Sidon’s voice vibrating against him. 

“I do, Sidon.” 

“Make it later…” He whined, pulling Link even closer, squeezing out a laugh from him. 

“Sidon, if I make it later, it’d be lunch.”

“Mm, so be it.”

Link’s heart was soaring— Sidon was being so cute, and it took all his strength to stop himself from cupping the Prince’s face and covering it in gentle kisses until he properly woke up. Cheeks burning from smiling so wide, he let himself indulge in this moment, to pretend even for a second that Sidon actually wanted him to stay— that it wasn’t just his sleep making him act this way. 

He lightly pushed at Sidon’s shoulders, whispering apologies when Sidon growled sleepily. Finally, he managed to stumble off the bed, and laughed at the protesting whine from Sidon as he flopped back onto the bed. 

“You’re so cruel, Link.”

Link giggled when Sidon almost immediately fell asleep again, and he walked over to the dresser he had unpacked his things in. He pulled on the pants he had worn yesterday, not bothering to change out of his sweater. He pulled on clean socks, slid on his shoes, and tiptoed out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him before making his way down to the kitchens.

A couple of hours had passed, and Link had made fresh bread and pancakes (the royal family _loved_ them, and were always nicer to him when he did make them). He had just finished cooking up a few sausages and hash browns and was just about to start on the omelets when arms wrapped around him, making him jump. 

“Sorry, Link, I did not mean to scare you. I uh, I should have probably said something when I came in.” Sidon was smiling sheepishly down at him, making Link roll his eyes.

“I could’ve dropped my spatula, _Sidon_.”

“There are many other spatulas here,” Sidon noted, laughing softly at Link’s weak scowl as he gently swayed them in place. “Your cooking smells amazing. As always.”

Link bit his lip, trying to stop his smile from spreading more than it already had. Sidon swaying them made his heart do gymnastics, and he looked up at him, chuckling as he did. “Thank you, Sidon. Breakfast is almost ready; I’m just making omelets now.”

The Prince hummed in response and they fell into a comfortable silence before Sidon spoke again.

“Link, I am sorry for this morning.”

The Hylian stiffened slightly and swallowed thickly. He panicked as he tried to focus on the eggs in front of him again, wondering if Sidon was going to tell him that he should, actually, move into the guest room, that he didn’t like being so close to him. Maybe he was going to tell him he didn’t want to do this anymore. 

His stomach felt queasy as Sidon continued. 

“I… I do not— I do not usually get clingy, I am sorry you had to um, deal with that.”

At that, Link barked out a laugh, all his nerves immediately leaving him. He turned around to look up at Sidon, who immediately adjusted his grip for the new position. 

“Usually?” He giggled, cocking an eyebrow and making Sidon turn teal.

The Prince sighed as he looked back down at Link in defeat. “Bazz is uh… Bazz tends to be very touchy with his friends. He always has been.”

“Sidon, are you _cheating on me with Bazz?_ ”

Link laughed at Sidon’s offended _eugh!_ , and he turned around to focus on the eggs again. He felt like saccharine, joking around with Sidon like this, even more so as he relaxed in the Prince’s arms. 

“ _Goddess,_ no. Bazz is my personal guard and he has to go on trips with me when I leave the Domain. He does not know what personal space is, and refuses to learn.” Sidon chuckled, the vibrations of his laugh making Link shiver. “He treats all his friends like that, or so I have heard. Especially from his roommate.”

Link laughed at the image of Bazz forcing Sidon to cuddle with him. “It doesn’t bother you, does it?”

He felt him shrug, humming softly. “I have gotten used to it. We _have_ been friends for years, after all.”

The two chuckled softly as Link served the omelets on plates for the four of them, Sidon still not letting him go as he did. He didn’t mind, though. It was pleasantly domestic, and he almost forgot that they weren’t _actually_ together.

Almost.

“Link, you _beautiful little Hylian!_ I am **_famished_** and it smells so **_delicious_** in here!”

Sidon laughed softly as he pulled his arms away from Link, turning to look at King Dorephan.

“Good morning, father.”

The King slapped Sidon’s back, laughing heartily. “You got lucky, boy, such an amazing cook choosing you as his beloved.”

Link giggled at Sidon, a tease obvious in his tone, but the Prince just turned to smile softly at him. 

“… Yes, I did, didn’t I?” His expression impossibly softened even more. ”I am quite possibly the luckiest man in the world.”

Link inhaled sharply and had to concentrate very, _very_ hard on not letting his knees buckle underneath him. He turned around swiftly and chastised himself, trying to stay focused on the fact that they were _acting_ ; Sidon was _supposed_ to be saying things like that. 

He tried to recover as he plated the rest of the food, saying, “A Prince chose _me_ as his beloved. I think _I’m_ the lucky one.”

“Oh, please, Sidon isn’t _that_ special.”

Link barked out a laugh as Mipha entered the kitchen, and Sidon huffed at her, gills slightly flaring as he did. “Wow, _thanks,_ _Mipha._ ”

The two stuck their tongues out at each other, making Link giggle as he moved everything to the table nearby, and as soon as they were done bickering they helped out as well. After serving drinks, they all sat down, the small table much less formal than the one in the dining room. It felt a lot more homely. 

Link cursed under his breath as he stood back up, going back to the cupboards in the kitchen to search for what he had missed in setting the table. 

“How did you two sleep?” Mipha asked, smirking, immediately shoving a big serving of pancake into her mouth. 

“Just fine, thanks,” Sidon responded, diving into his own serving of pancakes. 

“Just fine?”

“That _is_ what I said.”

“Huh. _Interesting._ ”

Link giggled at the siblings’ repartee and laughed, even more, when King Dorephan chimed in. 

“I sure do hope they slept _just fine,_ for one, we have _a lot_ of meetings today.”

Mipha groaned. “Father, please, I’m trying to enjoy my pancakes.” 

Link grinned as he walked back over, the offending jar in hand. “Honey?”

“Yes?”

He froze in placing the jar down, eyes widening as he looked at Sidon, his eyes just as wide. His face felt hot. 

_That_ hadn’t been part of their plan. They had agreed to _not_ do that. _Wh—_

“Eugh. Are you guys bringing out the pet names now?” King Dorephan rumbled, scoffing as he picked up the honey and poured it over his pancakes. “You two are so in love it’s almost _disgusting._ ”

Link laughed awkwardly, taking his seat next to Sidon and gently squeezing his knee, hoping that his message of _it’s okay_ came across. 

“Right, as if you and mom didn’t do the same exact thing _all the time,_ ” Mipha defended, cutting her omelet up and placing a bite in her mouth. 

“That’s _different._ ”

Link nervously looked up at Sidon, who glanced down at him at the same time. 

“Sorry,” Sidon whispered, as inconspicuous as he could.

“It’s okay, don’t worry.” Link muttered back, giving him a demure smile. “We’ll just have to add that to our list, now.”

He simpered at the sight of a teal flush on Sidon’s face and switched his focus to the food in front of him. His stomach growled happily at finally being able to eat the food he had spent hours preparing. 

They all exchanged banter and small talk, and before he knew it they were all standing up from the table, the royals slightly panicking. 

“We’re gonna be late.” Mipha hissed, apologetically looking over at Link. “Sorry to leave you, but— royal duties.”

Link waved them off, smiling, raising his hands. ‘It’s fine, I’ll clean up. I’m not going anywhere.’

“Right, thank you for the food, Link. Delicious, as always.” King Dorephan nodded at him before leaving, Mipha repeating his sentiments and following close behind. 

Sidon turned to look at him as soon as the two left, bringing his hands into his own. “The meeting will not take long, I think. It is just an overview of our business in Kakariko. I will be back soon. I promise.”

Link laughed softly and nodded, and the Prince smiled at him, hesitated for a bit, and then leaned down to press a kiss to each of his hands. His heart swelled in his chest as he did— throat feeling tight as Sidon let go and waved to him before disappearing into the hallway. 

Link stood in the kitchen, and let out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. Unconsciously, he pressed his knuckles to his lips, the sensation of Sidon kissing them still sending jolts of electricity through him.

He bit his lip, smiling giddily behind them before switching his focus to washing the dishes in the sink.

* * *

“Link!”

He startled and almost fell onto his ass at the sound of his name. 

After cleaning up the kitchen and leaving it as immaculate as he had found it, he had decided to go on a tour of the palace. He had never actually seen the entire thing before, but despite how furtive his tour had been, he had been discovered anyhow. He swallowed audibly and shoved his hands in his pockets before lamely turning around. 

“Hey, Mipha.”

She stopped just a couple of feet in front of him. 

“The meeting just ended— I’m honestly surprised Sidon didn’t find you first.” She noted, awkwardly laughing as she bounced on the balls of her feet, sighing heavily. “Uh… listen, I’m glad I found you, Link. I- I wanted to talk.”

The Hylian nodded briskly, taking in a deep breath. Mipha’s intonation was just as soft as ever— and her composure this morning and last night had put him at ease, even just a little bit. 

But he could hear a note of concern in her voice, and his hands began to clam up in anticipation.

_What if?_

“Link… I know— I know that our history has been… rather undesirable.” Mipha bit her lip, looking down at her feet before meeting his eyes. “But, I _know_ you. I know you need me to tell you, again, that I have gotten over you.”

Link exhaled shakily, looking out the window beside them. 

“There’s no need to— to feel any sort of guilt.” Link opened his mouth to speak, but Mipha cut him off, her voice extra demanding with the tone of a royal. “Please, let me finish.” 

He nodded.

“Back then, when you told me that… that you were gay, I was heartbroken, of course, you knew that. I told you then, and I’ll tell you again— it would have been absolutely _unfair_ of me to hold a grudge against you for something you couldn’t control. And it has been _so long_ , Link. I need you to understand that I don’t hold any malice against you for what happened that day. We fought alongside each other, Link. I know you well enough to be confident in the fact that you needed to hear this again.”

Mipha straightened her posture, cleared her throat, and smiled brightly. “So. What _I want to say_ is that I am happy for the two of you. _Genuinely._ I am absolutely _elated_ that you two have found love in each other. There is no one better, in my opinion, to have captured the heart of my brother than you, Link.”

He sniffed wetly, genuinely wanting to cry. He knew that Mipha didn’t hate him for what happened, but to hear it again like _this?_

He met her eyes, and the authentically jubilant look in them coerced hot tears to trail down his cheeks. She frowned slightly and cooed quietly, spreading her arms, which Link happily stepped into. They hugged, tightly, with the Hylian sniffing rather inelegantly every now and then. Other than that, the only sound was silence— Mipha said nothing. 

She knew he needed silence. 

Mipha didn’t know that he was only _pretending_ to be Sidon’s boyfriend. But, she also didn’t know that he had fallen for him, completely, and had known that for a _while._

She didn’t know how much the guilt of their past prevented him from being able to even _think_ about acting on it. 

She didn’t know how many times he would catch himself gazing at Sidon, before the echoes of her confession fogged over his mind, forcing him to look away.

Her speech broke that barrier and it made his heart coil with relief, joy, and warmth. After goddess knows how long, he pulled away from her embrace, a grateful smile plastered across his face.

‘Thank you, Mipha. You have _no idea_ how much that means to me. Truly. I’m really glad to know that you have my— _our_ back.’

She beamed at him. “Of course, Link. I’m sorry to say that I must go now, more meetings and all, but, _please._ Don’t hesitate to be happy.”

Link nodded, returning her smile just as cheerfully, if not more. She turned to leave, but then swiveled back to face him, breaking out into a teasing smile.

“And not to say I already _knew,_ by the way, but I _had_ noticed the way the two of you look at each other. _Honestly,_ I’m more surprised by how **_long_ ** it took for you two to figure it all out.”

She walked away, snickering, leaving Link paralyzed. He stared after her until her figure had turned into a small dot at the end of the hall, comprehension finally crashing over him and making him weak.

What did she mean by the way **_they_** look at **_each other?_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so, this chapter was supposed to be a *lot* longer, haha. i wrote this part and then realized it was longer than chapter two, and i wasn't even halfway through my planned plot for it, so i decided to split it in half. also, finals are coming up really, really soon so i wanted to post this instead of making you guys wait until they were over.
> 
> also! i forgot to mention i have a tumblr, at the same name ([dreamingoverthehorizonn](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/)). sometimes i post stuff there and give updates, so if anyone wants, feel free to follow me there! and thanks for all the sweet comments on the last chapter, you guys are all so nice! <3


	4. Chapter 4

Link mindlessly stumbled around the palace before abruptly coming to a stop. His head was pounding— he sighed as he leaned his elbows on a windowsill nearby, dragging his hands down his face.

_ The way the two of you look at each other. _

The phrase ricocheted around in his mind, and it was making a queasiness boil in the pit of his stomach— the way his brain was panicking was making him think that he never had common sense, actually. Because he was standing there, pathetically wondering if Mipha had meant that the way  _ he _ wanted her to mean it.

But that was such an outrageous wish he almost felt ashamed of it. That was impossible. Whatever he wants between him and Sidon is never going to happen, and that’s been something he’s been mulling over for more than a year and a half now. 

Sidon thought of them as just friends. That was a fact he was  _ confident  _ about.

Link laughed softly to himself, shaking his head at his audacity to even be feeling like this. He was meant to be a friend doing a favor for a friend, and he was absolutely blowing it. Pressing his palms against his eyes brought little sparks into his vision, but it was a welcome distraction from his faux pas.

And almost as if his brain wanted to murder Link itself, it burst images of last night and that morning into his head. The ghost of Sidon’s arms wrapping around him— strong,  _ safe—  _ had been haunting him since that morning, and no matter what he tried to do he couldn’t make the phantom of his embrace leave. 

Worst of all, he wasn’t even sure if he  _ really _ thought of that as a bad thing, which only frustrated him more.

Were those moments of intimacy with no one else around them confusing him to no end?  _ Absolutely. _

Was he going to force himself to not think about it?  _ Of course he was. _

__

On their way to the Domain yesterday, Bazz had been the one who pitched the idea of Link and Sidon touching each other as much as they could; the logic being that the more they did it, the more natural they would be in front of King Dorephan and Mipha. Link was pretty sure that was where this had all spiraled— now that Sidon was actually going  _ through  _ with it, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive an entire month like this. He was letting his true feelings show but was having to slap the label of  **_an act_ ** all over it.

He knew it wasn’t actually Bazz’s fault; he didn’t blame him, at all. He just kind of wished he had nipped the idea in the bud.

It would have made this entire situation less complicated. 

With a sigh, Link gathered as much confidence as he could and shoved everything down, figuring that going back to Sidon’s room would be best for him at that moment. He spun on his feet, took a step forward, and immediately crashed into an (impressively) hard chest. 

“Oh! Link, I am  _ so sorry— _ I did not— er, I should have announced myself, I am so sorry—”

The Hylian stumbled back, rubbing the dull ache on his forehead as he looked up. Sidon was standing in front of him, face a dark teal and eyes slightly wide, most likely from embarrassment. Link couldn’t have stopped the smile that took over his face even if he had tried.

Or even if he had wanted to.

‘It’s okay, Sidon. It’s not like you were standing an inch away from me, or anything.’

He broke out into a laugh at the Prince as his cheeks puffed out. Oh, goddess, he was so cute it wasn’t  _ fair.  _

“I am sorry Link, I— uh…” Sidon shifted his eyes rapidly around the hallway before lifting his hand, grinning toothily at him. “Picnic?”

The basket the Prince was holding hung in front of his face, and Link stared at it before cocking an eyebrow up at him. ‘Oh, yes.  _ Very  _ romantic, Sidon. Giving me a concussion and then asking me out to a picnic right after.’

Sidon guffawed, and Link smiled as the corners of his eyes crinkled. The Prince gently placed the basket down, then took a step closer to him. Link blushed furiously at how close he had gotten— goddess, was being able to be this close to him  _ ever  _ going to be comprehensible to him?

Link stared into golden eyes as Sidon gently cupped his face, though it was more his head, and rubbed small circles into his temples with his thumbs. The Hylian laughed shyly and let his eyes flutter shut at how delicate Sidon was being. He instead tried to focus on desperately hoping he didn’t melt into a puddle right then and there. Slowly, he reached a hand up to wrap around one of the Prince’s wrists, and the way he could feel a small huff leave his gills made him smile even more. 

The Prince hummed quietly. “I am sorry, Link. Maybe next time I will cut out the concussion from that plan.”

Link huffed out a laugh, turning more into a giggle when Sidon began to laugh too. “Well, I sure do  _ hope _ so.”

He let his eyes slide open and practically  _ felt  _ his soul leave his body at how close Sidon was to him, hunched over so much his crest almost touched his forehead. The Prince was a dark teal, and Link couldn’t help but smile softly at the absurdity of  _ everything  _ about this.

Goddess. No wonder he was having such a hard time keeping his cool around him. Sidon was a  _ really good _ actor. 

“Heya, lovebirds!”

Sidon stammered as he pulled his hands away and stepped back haphazardly, and Link had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing. Bazz jogged up to them, grinning mischievously as he stopped in front of them and put his hands on his hips. The Hylian thanked the captain in his head for interrupting them. Who knows what he would’ve done if he hadn’t? He took deep breaths, trying to slow the rapid beat of his heart. 

Bazz looked back and forth between the two of them, his mouth open, corners upturned slightly. “So…? Spill the deets, have you two kissed yet, or what?”

The Hylian stared at him, the words that had come out of his mouth _refusing_ to be processed. After a few seconds, they did, and shock washed over him immediately. His face went hot, and he lamely opened his mouth, trying but failing to say anything. 

Has he thought about kissing Sidon in the past twenty-four hours?  _ Yes.  _ He literally just did before the captain had arrived. But Bazz didn’t have to bring the idea  _ up  _ for goddess’s sake— 

A strained  _ huh?  _ sounded beside him, and Link switched his gaze to see Sidon taking a step away from him. “K- _ Kiss?! _ Wh-what are you—? Bazz, that is—that is  **_out of the question—_ ** ”

‘Bazz we— we’re  _ pretending.  _ Kissing is  **_off-limits,_ ** oh my goddess—’ Link covered his face with his hand, more so to cover up how red he was turning than anything.

The captain stepped back, frowning as he put his hands up in surrender. “Okay,  _ okay! _ First of all, I was joking, so I don’t know why all this hostility is being thrown at me right now. Not going to lie, I’m a  _ little  _ offended. Second of all,” He leered at them teasingly, snickering. “You guys defended that  _ really  _ quick—”

Sidon groaned in frustration at him before picking the picnic basket back up. “Bazz, you do realize that you have somewhere you are supposed to be guarding right now, right?”

“I just wanted to see how you guys were doing!”

“A likely story.”

“Ah, so  _ this _ is what retribution feels like.” Bazz’s eyes flickered down to the basket in the Prince’s hand. “… You’re going to go on a picnic? This late?”

“It is not  _ that  _ late. And my father is insisting on it, so yes, yes we are.” 

“King Dorephan set you guys up on a date?” The captain chuckled as he began walking backward, towards the door to the Domain. “You gotta be careful. He might be planning your wedding right about now.”

Link was about to faint. Wedding? Being married to Sidon? Oh, goddess what if this plan got out of hand and they had to pretend to be  _ married?  _ He was panicking; he couldn’t  _ handle that! _

“Right. I really doubt my father would air out our business like that.”

Bazz hummed amusedly, practically shrugging vocally. “You never know!”

The captain waved at them as he walked off, but Link was so busy trying to deal with the burst of hysteria in his throat, he didn’t wave back. He thinks he saw Sidon wave back, and then the Prince wrapped an arm around Link’s shoulders, making him calm down drastically. The Hylian bit his lip as Sidon led them towards an exit that led to the reservoir, and they were almost out the door when Bazz yelled after them.

“Oh, wait! Prince Sidon, Princess—”

“If this is about Mipha, she already told me herself!” Sidon started to shut the door behind them, almost a little  _ too _ enthusiastically.

“No, wait! Princess Z—”

“ _ Goodbye, Bazz! _ ”

Sidon huffed and shook his head softly, and Link giggled as the door clicked behind them. 

‘What if that was important?’

“I highly doubt it. If it were, it would have been the first thing he said to me.” 

Link hummed in response, and the pair continued on to walk down the bridge for a few seconds before he froze.

**_Shit._ **

They were  _ outside.  _

The Hylian hastily pulled away and put a good three feet between him and the Prince, who was looking down at him inquiringly, frowning slightly. 

‘The  _ plan, _ Sidon.’ Link explained. 

“…I beg your pardon?”

‘The plan. Not in public.’

The Zora blushed, eyes widening rapidly. “ _ Oh! _ R-right. I am sorry, Link. I completely forgot about— not about  _ the plan, _ I…”

Link broke out into a fond smile before turning around and making his way to the reservoir. After a few seconds, Sidon caught up to him, and the Hylian couldn’t help but want to hold his hand— to make people  _ think  _ that this was all real. He wanted to know that this was happening outside of just King Dorephan and Mipha. The urge was so strong that he bit the inside of his cheek to shock it away, forcing his mind to go empty. 

They were halfway up the implacably long staircase when, without warning, Sidon grabbed his hand. Link stumbled slightly and looked down at him, cocking an eyebrow. He hadn’t even realized Sidon had stopped climbing the stairs. The Zora looked… nervous, almost. 

“We— we are— we’re… we’re out of sight.”

Link processed the words before nodding slowly, an amused grin spreading across his face. “Yep. We sure are.”

He tried to pull his hand away and Sidon tightened his grip, clearing his throat before locking his gaze with him again.

The Hylian frowned slightly. “Sidon, wh—”

“C— Can… can I— can we…” Sidon straightened his posture and took a deep breath, face turning a dark teal. “… Can we practice?”

Oh.

_ Oh. _

He was nodding before he could stop himself, and he watched as Sidon broke out into a toothy grin, his smile blinding him and making him feel like mush. The Prince looked relieved, almost, but Link decided he wasn’t going to think about it.

Sidon wrapped his arm around him as they made their way up the stairs once again, which only lasted a few more minutes before the reservoir came into view. Link laughed softly and broke away from him.

‘Aw, Sidon, I’m  _ honored. _ ’

The Prince chuckled as the Hylian made his way to the deck. There was a boat waiting for them— and at a distance, it was simply a large black boat (obviously made so that Sidon could fit) with lovely intricate designs along the sides. But once Link was standing at the end of the deck, staring down at it, he felt his heart drop to his stomach.

It was  _ beautifully _ decorated with flowers, mostly roses, and there were a few luminous stones built into the edges to act as lamps. The benches were cushioned with silver velvet, while the bottom of the boat was made of polished wood. It was a nice boat, and Link appreciated the fact that King Dorephan had gone through the trouble to get it for them… but…

It was painfully obvious that this was made for an actual couple. Which they weren’t. 

He stood there, unmoving, wondering how the  _ hell _ he was meant to survive a picnic with Sidon like this, when the Prince caught up and gasped dramatically behind him.

“Oh, wow! This is— that is…  _ very _ romantic. Oh! Not that— not that you do not  _ deserve _ that Link, o-of course you do! I— oh goddess, I mean… uh—”

Link looked up at Sidon, who was turning a darker teal the more he stammered. He broke out into a laugh, shoving at the Prince’s arm gently.

‘Calm down, Sidon. You’re going to choke.’

The Hylian looked back down at the boat.

Oh, goddess, Link was going to choke. 

They stood there, silent, nonmoving, refusing to look at each other. The boat sat in the middle of them, a reminder of everything that had led them up to this moment. Link was about to suggest that they go up to the mountain when Sidon huffed quietly, and stepped into the boat, setting the basket down before looking back up at him. The Prince’s face was teal as he held out his hand, and Link felt his own face heat up as he looked down at it. 

The Hylian bit his lip before catching the Zora’s gaze, smiling as he put his hand in his. Sidon flashed him a grin of his own and helped him into the boat, placing his hands on his lap once Link sat onto the bench across from him. They stared at each other, and Link ducked his head, shyly. He already thought that Sidon was absolutely stunning, but the garlands that wrapped around the boat only complimented him; Link had to double-check if he was even breathing or not. The red of the roses paled in comparison to the Prince, and he wasn’t sure if it was the perfumed smell of the flowers or something else, but he was starting to feel dizzy.

Sidon bit his lip, and at the sight, Link had to remember the talk he had given himself earlier. “Would you like to go out into the middle?”

The Hylian simpered. ‘Yes, I would.’

The Prince smiled back at him before grabbing the oars, the muscles in his arms rippling as he rowed them over to the center of the reservoir. Link forced himself to look away, almost having to pathetically fan himself at the sight, and instead rested an elbow on the edge of the boat. He rested his chin in his hand as he looked out at the water. The sun painted the clouds beautifully, mixing warm and cool colors across the sky. The Domain was beautiful, but there was something about being alone with Sidon up here that made it more so. 

He jerked slightly when he finally realized that they had stopped. Link looked over at the Prince, only to see that he had been staring at him, smiling distractedly. The Hylian blushed furiously, and shifted his gaze, unconsciously tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.

“Wh-what is it? Do I have something on my face?” He laughed, hands wringing in his lap, heart stuck in his throat.

Sidon suddenly jumped and his eyes widened, and Link is pretty sure he set a record for how fast his face turned teal. “N-No! No, sorry, Link, I— I… n-no you do not. My apologies.”

Link bit his lip, his mind screaming  _ he was looking at you,  _ and he feigned ignorance to it, choosing to instead open the basket between them. He hummed happily as he pulled out the plates of salmon risotto. He passed one over to Sidon and then spun on his seat, stretching his legs across it as he leaned his back on the side of the boat. The Prince laughed quietly before they dug in— as always, Chef Ravacan had outdone himself.

Link was still chewing when he looked over at Sidon speculatively. 

“Sidon?”

“Hm?”

“We should talk about the rules again.”

The Prince looked up at him, slightly frowning. “… Why?”

Link smiled at him as he dropped his fork onto his plate and wiped his hands off on his pants. ‘Well, because this morning you _obviously_ broke one of the ones we had agreed on yesterday—’

“Sorry,” Sidon mumbled, blushing lightly.

‘—About no pet names. We  _ had  _ said that that was too much, but now we have to do it.’ Link hummed amusingly. ‘Get ready for me to only call you Sibun. It’s what your fan club calls you.’

The Prince guffawed, almost dropping his plate as he did. “ _ Si-bun?  _ What does the  _ bun _ stand for?”

‘Bun… bunny?’

“Not like… butt bun?”

Link scoffed and threw one of the grapes from the fruit plate at him. ‘I  _ highly  _ doubt it. You don’t call romantic partners  _ Big Ass  _ as a term of endearment.’

“Well, firstly, I did not add the big part, so I am flattered, Link—” He dodged the next grape Link threw at him, chuckling at his red face. “—and why not call partners  _ Big Ass? _ ”

The Hylian sputtered, slightly exasperated. ‘I-I don’t know! I only know these types of things from people watching on my travels.  _ Big Ass  _ wasn’t a thing.’

“I think it should be.”

‘Sidon, I’m not calling you  _ Big Ass.’ _

The Prince broke out into a laugh, obviously amused by his own humor. “Alright, alright. If you get to call me Sibun, I get to call you…” He smirked. “Linky.”

Link scrunched up his face as he lifted his shoulders to his ears, audibly gagging as the Zora snorted at him. ‘Okay, you know what? No Sibun, no Linky.’

“Deal.”

They laughed softly, and a few moments passed before Link cleared his throat, waiting for Sidon to look over at him before signing.

‘How do we interact? Like, in public?’

Sidon hummed around a mouth full of food. “I will just wrap my arm around you. Like we have been doing.”

Link looked over at him, frowning slightly. ‘You said not in public. We don’t want to be suspicious.’

“Oh, right. Okay… um… I suppose we could just avoid being in public with each other altogether?”

‘That could work.’ Link shrugged as he took a final bite of the risotto. ‘But wouldn’t Mipha and King Dorephan suspect something? About how we’re never in public together?’

Sidon bit his lip. “Well… we could say that my duties keep me away from being with you in the Domain? I feel like that is… fairly true.”

‘Yeah, okay. Sounds good to me.’

Link sat up, putting his empty plate back and  _ ooh! _ ed as he pulled slices of fruit cake. Suddenly he decided that the awkwardness of this entire boat picnic was  _ absolutely _ worth it. He went back to stretching his legs out and then hummed. 

‘I know we said this already, but just to reiterate— no “L” word.’

Sidon nodded. “Yes. No “L” word.”

A blanket of silence fell between them, and they contentedly ate their slices of cake. Once they were both done and the picnic basket was almost empty, Sidon cleared his throat. Link looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow.

“Link?”

‘Yes?’

“May I ask you a question?”

‘… About?’

The Prince bit his lip before straightening his posture. “My father, yesterday, mentioned that… that you have had a lot of people attempt to court you. May I— May I ask why it is, then, that you do not have experience with… with romantic affection?”

Link stared at him a bit before sighing softly, sitting up and looking out at the reservoir. The sun was finally setting, its final rays glimmering against the water, which invited the luminous stones in the boat to grow in intensity. He fumbled with the flowers beside him, and Sidon must’ve caught on to his hesitation because he blurted out,

“Of course, you do not have to tell me a  _ thing!  _ That is such a personal question, of course you do not have to tell me—” 

“Sidon.” Link spoke and glanced up at him. His hands were shaking, and he  _ really  _ didn’t want Sidon to notice, so he let his voice take over (however shaky it might be) so that he could keep his hands in his lap. “I…”

He sighed, heavily. 

“Sidon, there’s been… there've been  _ so many  _ people who try to win my affection and I just— I hate it. I hate it because all those people see me as  **_The Hero of Hyrule_ ** _ ,  _ not… not  _ me.  _ And worst of all, they compare me to who “Link” was a hundred years ago. While I have no doubt he was a great guy,  _ that’s not me anymore.  _ That Link… that Link died out on the battlefield.”

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he swallowed audibly. He felt tears pool in his eyes, and he wished them away, licking his lips before continuing. He stole a glance at Sidon and smiled softly at the fact that he was listening attentively. 

“So, I don’t let them get close to me. Why would I? They don’t care about _me_ anyway. But there’s… there’s this one guy I _do_ remember—” Link sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Athrian. I was in Akkala for a bit, doing missions and all. I would spend some nights up on this cliff— I’ve never been able to sleep that well— and one night he, uh… he joined me. And I thought he was cute, so I let him.”

Link bit his lip and looked over at Sidon, who nodded at him. It was enough for him to gather his confidence to continue. “We… talked. A lot, that night. It was nice, you know, because he’s one of the only people who  _ don’t  _ just see me as this… this Hero. And the next night, he was there waiting for me. So, we talked and then—”

The Hylian bit his tongue and took a deep breath. “And then he tried to kiss me. I hadn’t even noticed how close he had gotten to me, and there was no warning— I think— and so… I panicked. I panicked and I pushed him, got on Epona, and left. The next day, he cornered me after hours of avoiding him, and he apologized for assuming I was gay. I told him I was, and he… he got upset. Because I didn’t… let him. I was so humiliated I left Akkala that night.”

Sidon gasped softly when Link finally had the strength to look up at him—hot tears were streaming down his cheeks and he sniffed, wiping them away, letting out a dismal, hitched laugh. “Kind of funny, isn’t it? The courageous  **_Hero of Hyrule._ ** I’ve done  _ so much,  _ and yet… and  _ yet,  _ I can’t even let anyone get close enough to  _ fucking kiss me.”  _

His voice cracked and Sidon tentatively put a hand on his knee. The pressure was comforting— it felt as if the sun was coming back out just for him.

“… Link, that is nothing to be ashamed about. It is okay. It is  _ not  _ your fault— you deserve to be able to put boundaries up. You are  _ allowed  _ to do that. You are allowed to get out of—  _ any _ situation that makes you uncomfortable.” 

Link looked up at Sidon, and oh, goddess. He looked  _ so  _ sincere, and suddenly he got the urge to get into his arms, so he could feel as safe as he did last night. Instead, he smiled softly and mumbled out a gentle  _ thank you.  _ They sat in silence for a bit, and Link was extremely grateful for it. As his breaths finally evened, Sidon shifted in his seat.

“Link?”

Slowly, he turned to make eye contact with the Prince. Oh— he looked remorseful. 

“Link, I am so terribly  _ sorry  _ if I— if I have ever made you uncomfortable with…  _ anything  _ that we have done so far. I am absolutely sorry, Link. I should have… I should have made sure that you were okay with me touching you before I did. I am so sorry.”

Link hadn’t been expecting that response; he felt his heart  _ melt.  _ Sidon was staring at him so earnestly and the Hylian wanted nothing more but to cup his face and make him smile again. Instead, Link responded by saying, 

“I’m not uncomfortable, Sidon.”

“… Link, if… if you are saying this just to make me feel better—”

The Hylian frowned, unable to stop himself from scoffing. “I would  _ not  _ try to make you feel better if I were uncomfortable, Sidon. I know how to stand my ground.”

“O-of course. I did not— I am sorry. I did not mean it like that. Of course you can.”

The last rays of the sunset were disappearing behind the mountains in front of them. It was only until restless crickets had filled the silence before Link gathered the courage to speak again.

“It… It’s because it's you.”

“Pardon?”

“I… I don’t feel uncomfortable when you touch me, because it's you.”

The Hylian couldn’t tell if the silence was bad or not, so he only let it linger for a bit before turning to look at the Prince, swallowing thickly. “Sidon, it’s because I l—” 

Link clamped his mouth shut and bit the inside of his cheek, sure that he drew some blood if the sudden metallic taste was anything to go by.

_ What the hell was wrong with him?! _

“… Link?”

“I… You. You’re safe. When… when you t-touch me, it doesn’t feel…  _ vile _ . Like how others would touch me. You’re safe.”

Link could hear Sidon’s smile in his sharp exhale. “I am glad. I do not want you to feel like that around me, how they would make you feel.”

The Hylian looked up at him and smiled softly. “… Don’t worry— I never have.”

They stared at each other, and Link felt a little queasy from his almost confession. He bit his lip and looked back out at the water, and at that exact moment, a sudden shout across the reservoir shattered anything in the air into pieces. The two straightened slightly, trying to focus on the waving figure at the deck. 

“ **_Prince Sidon!_ ** _ ” _ The Zora shouted, before diving into the water.

Sidon strained his neck a bit more before looking down at the Hylian. “Was that…  _ Tottika?” _

Link’s eyes widened and, almost on instinct, turned in his seat to shove everything back into the basket. Once he was done, he looked around for a bit before inhaling sharply and looking up at the Prince. 

“ _ Sidon, the boat! _ ” He hissed, quickly checking to make sure the guard wasn’t near them yet.

Sidon looked over at him. He looked as nervous as he felt, maybe even more. “I-I beg your pardon?”

“The  _ boat,  _ Sidon!” Link whispered sharply, motioning at all the flowers. “How are we going to explain  _ the boat?” _

The two froze as they stared at each other in mutual horror, jerking away from the edge as the water splashed, announcing the guard’s arrival. Tottika grunted as he put his elbows on the edge of the boat, pulling himself up so that he could look over at Sidon quizzically. 

“I didn’t know we had boats.” He said, lamely. “It’s pretty. The flowers are nice. Oh— right. Prince Sidon, King Dorephan asked that you return to the Domain.”

Tottika flashed him a grin after the announcement, and Sidon frowned at him as he straightened his posture. 

“May I ask why?”

The Zora guard bit his lip and shifted his eyes, awkwardly. “… I’m sorry, Prince Sidon. I was specifically asked not to tell you.”

The guard’s eyes wandered, and he jumped at the sight of Link, going teal as he caught himself before he fell back into the water. “M- _ Master Link! _ My apologies, I— I didn’t realize you were in the Domain! I’m so sorry, I— I thought Prince Sidon was out here with… someone else.”

He winced at his last words and Link cocked an eyebrow at him,  _ slightly  _ offended. “What do you mean, Tottika?” 

“I— it’s just that, uh— King Dorephan said that— that the Prince was having a… romantic picnic?”

The response and its implications drained all the color out of his face. Beside him, Sidon was stuttering out random noises, something along the lines of  _ he what? _

Tottika’s eyes widened, comically. “Oh! Not that I have anything against gay people! Or you two!  _ Of course not! _ I  _ wholeheartedly  _ support you! I just— I wasn’t aware that you two were— I’m  _ so sorry—” _

The two stared at him wordlessly, long enough that the guard turned a dark teal, shifting his gaze to look anywhere but them. Finally, Sidon cleared his throat, taking a deep breath before he spoke. 

“Right, thank you, Tottika. We will meet you back at the deck, yes?”

The guard nodded rapidly, relieved that he was being dismissed from his gaucheries, and quickly dove back into the water. Once he was gone, Link chewed at his lip and anxiously glanced over at Sidon.

“… He knows.”

The Prince looked back at him and let out a heavy sigh, lifting a hand to drag it down his face. He pinched his eyes shut before looking back at him

“Yes, yes he does… I am not going to lie, Link. I am… worried about how many people my father has told, if he told  _ Tottika  _ of all people—” He cut himself off, hiding his face in his hands. “Oh, goddess.”

Link hesitantly put a hand on his knee, just as Sidon had done to him earlier. The Prince looked down at him and smiled tiredly; he briefly caressed the back of his hand before grabbing a hold of the oars to row them back to the deck. Link got the hint and slid his hand off, sighing softly as he watched the Domain get closer.

The walk down to the palace was  _ painful.  _ Tottika walked in front of them, nervously rambling to Sidon about the drills Bazz had made the guards do that day. Thankfully, he wasn’t looking back at them, because if he had he would’ve questioned why they were walking so far apart from each other. It was unconscious; they were just really anxious for whatever was lurking in the palace that had to be kept a secret. Link was pretty sure thinking about the worst-case scenarios at that moment wasn’t helping at  _ all,  _ but unluckily for him, his brain refused to cooperate.

As soon as Tottika led them through the main doors and down a few halls, they stopped in front of hauntingly gigantic doors that were propped open. As soon as he looked into the room, Link’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.

Every single Zora, even the ones that didn’t live in the Domain, was congregated in the room. The ceilings, pillars, and walls were decorated, and Link’s breath hitched as he took the scene in. Jerkily, he turned to look up at the Prince. 

“S-Sidon…? Wh—”

The Prince looked down at him, eyes wide and face pale. “Link I— I did not do this, I swear—”

“Is this a banquet?” The Hylian asked, stupidly. The thoughts inside his head were racing erratically and it was kind of really hard to even  _ stand.  _

Tottika nodded excitedly beside them, almost impressively oblivious to their collective terror. “King Dorephan wanted it to be a surprise!”

Link stumbled back, barely even processing the sound of Sidon inhaling sharply.

King Dorephan… wouldn’t announce their “relationship” to the entire Domain… right? 

Almost as if he could  _ feel  _ their nerves from across the room, the King suddenly stood up, smiling widely. “Ah, there they are! Come on over, you two!”

The echo of his voice reverberated in Link’s mind, and all the moisture was sucked out of his mouth as everyone in the room turned towards the entrance. 

“Sidon?” Link hissed, quietly.

“We are going to be okay, Link, I promise. The safest thing we can do is to play along.” Sidon whispered down at him and slowly began walking towards the King.

It was almost as if air sirens were going off in his head. It was pounding  _ painfully _ as he fell in step with Sidon, and he winced at the way his jaw was reflexively grinding. The crowd of Zora around them slowly faded their conversations into silence, stepping aside so that he and the Prince could pass. He watched with wide eyes as they would bow as they passed, almost  _ certain _ that he was going to pass out. He swallowed thickly and kept his eyes forward, hoping that if he couldn’t see them, the beat of his heart would slow back to normal.

It didn’t work. 

King Dorephan laughed cheerfully as he led the two to stand on the stage, and they turned to look at the crowd before them. As expected, seeing the entire crowd at once was worse than being in the crowd himself. He counted his breaths, exhaling and inhaling deeply, and the voice of the King felt so far away, yet much too close at the same time as it boomed throughout the room.

“I have gathered you all here today,” He announced, extra loud to make sure everyone was paying attention. His smile looked so genuine Link felt guilty for being so terrified. “To celebrate!  _ Your _ Prince and  _ my  _ son, Prince Sidon, has courted Link, the Hero of Hyrule!”

Link blinked rapidly as he stiffened, his throat clamping up and his head feeling like nothing on his shoulders. 

Oh, goddess. 

Oh, goddess. 

Shit.  **_Shit._ **

The room got  _ quiet.  _

Deathly quiet.

The ache rebounding around in his skull was making Link practically see black around the edges of his vision. He was still present enough to see a few jaws dropping, but other than that, the crowd of Zora was expressionless. 

He was shaking— oh  _ goddess  _ he was  _ shaking.  _

Why isn't anyone saying anything? 

Was this customary for announcements like this? 

Why were they all looking at him like… like  _ that? _

_ How long had it been since King Dorephan last talked? _

The silence in the room was agonizing. 

Suddenly, a  _ whoop!  _ sounded in one of the corners of the room, the outburst allaying Link’s nerves immediately. Everyone’s head snapped to its source, and the Hylian let out a breath he wasn’t even aware he had been holding. 

Bazz stood there, the center of attention, and relentlessly pumped his fist in the air, still whooping. 

“ **_Yeeah!! Damn, Prince Sidon! Woo!_ ** ”

Slowly, hesitant claps began to join Bazz’s cheering, filling the air until it reached a crescendo. 

A lighthouse. Bazz was a  _ lighthouse.  _

Link made a mental note to thank him after this was all over.

Suddenly Sidon wrapped an arm around him, and the embrace almost made him cry from how rapidly it made everything slow down enough so that he could breathe. He could feel Sidon relaxing against him too, and the Prince gently squeezed his shoulder; Link responded by putting a hand on top of his and returning the gesture.

He realized, at that moment, that lying to the King about dating his son was probably not the best move in this particular situation.

Sidon’s hand on his shoulder kept him sane enough to follow King Dorephan off the stage, and once they left the stairs, they turned to each other simultaneously.

“Link, I think we should leave—”

The Hylian rapidly nodded up at him and grabbed his arm before a clearing of the throat to their left distracted them.

“Prince Sidon,” Muzu greeted, deadpan. His hands were behind his back and he was standing straighter than usual. “Please, come talk to us.”

The council of elders was standing in a circle behind him, staring, and Link could feel Sidon tensing up. The Hylian shook his head slightly and looked up at the Prince, eyes widening. 

“Uh… you know, Muzu, we have had  _ a long day!” _ Sidon laughed awkwardly, starting to lead them to the exit. “I do think that we should go—”

Muzu’s face darkened. “That was an order, Prince Sidon.”

Sidon stilled, exhaled slowly, then turned his back to him to look down at Link, gently squeezing his shoulders as he did. He leaned down so he could mutter to him. “Go back to the room, I will try to get there as soon as I can.”

The Hylian nodded absentmindedly and watched as the Prince straightened, cleared his throat, and hesitantly walked towards the circle of the council. Wait— what was he supposed to do?

Oh.

Go back to the room. Right.

Link bit his lip, briefly scanning the area before spotting the most inconspicuous way out; for once, he was thankful for all those stealth missions he’s had to endure. He weaved through the crowd, going undetected, and ended up at a wall in front of a circle of female Zora. He was about to follow the rest of the path to the exit when he heard his name spoken in the circle. He didn’t  _ want _ to, but he froze in place, unable to avoid the rest of the exchange.

“…Link …?”

“… I wasn’t aware Prince Sidon liked…  _ Hylians.” _

“Yes! He didn’t strike me as the kind who likes… Hylians.”

One of the women scowled at the two Zora. “What does it matter that he likes men?”

He took a brief glance— Tula. 

“W-We didn’t say that!”

“You  _ implied  _ it!”

The first woman who spoke scoffed. “It’s not the fact that he likes men that I’m bothered about,  _ Tula.  _ He’s courted the  _ Hero of Hyrule.” _

Link inhaled sharply. Against the wall, he knew they couldn’t see him— there was a clear path to the exit, and he could easily pass by unnoticed. But it was as if his limbs were suddenly made of lead. In fact, he couldn’t even really  _ feel  _ them anymore. All he could do, or really, all his body was  _ letting _ him do, was stare at the group and take in their words.

Another Zora— Laflat— spoke up. “I think it’s an honor to have Link be so dear to our Prince—”

The second woman scowled at her. “Yes, the man who has a literal  _ timebomb  _ over his head. Come  _ on,  _ we all know the legend! We  _ know  _ what happens next. Should we really be letting our Prince get emotionally attached to someone who could drop dead at any second—”

Link recognized Tona, who bared her teeth at her. “Arrissa,  _ shut up  _ before I  _ make you—” _

He couldn’t breathe.

He  _ couldn’t breathe. _

Link gasped for air as he dashed out of the way, desperate to drown out their conversation. He didn’t even check to see if he blew his cover or not, he just let his legs lead him the rest of the way to the exit. He was conscious enough to look out into the hallway first, and stilled, eyebrows furrowing as he caught sight of King Dorephan and Muzu standing in the middle. The King looked  _ ireful  _ as he looked down at the elder.

“… My liege, with all due respect, you cannot be  _ serious _ about—” The elder laughed incredulously. “About  _ supporting  _ this—”

The King crossed his arms. “And pray tell, Muzu, why shouldn’t I be?”

Muzu scoffed and turned around to look at him. “ _ Not only  _ is Link not a Zora, but  _ he’s the Hero of Hyrule. _ King Dorephan, you know the legend as well as anyone else—”

“The legend has no weight! Ganon was defeated  _ over a year ago! _ Nothing has come of it yet!”

“ _ Yet!  _ But what if? We have no idea when he’s going to die— he could die tonight for all we know!”

“ _ Muzu.” _

“It is going to be like our Queen all over again—”

The elder _oof!_ ed as King Dorephan roughly jabbed his index finger into his chest. “You do **_not_** get to bring her up. You have no right! My son is _happy._ He’s in _love._ Why would I do anything to get in the way of that?!”

“He’s happy now, but when Link—”

“I am done listening to your _bullshit,_ Muzu. Just because Sidon happens to not fit into _your_ tight circle of “normality,” doesn’t mean that you can ruin his life because of it. And if you try to—” King Dorephan smiled at him tightly, growling low. “You do realize that I am your king, correct?”

King Dorephan practically pushed him out of the way as he walked back towards the banquet hall, leaving a frustrated and terrified Muzu behind. Link’s throat felt tight, and he wasn’t even sure his lungs were taking in air anymore. He wheezed, quietly, and stumbled a few steps back to avoid the King.

Link wasn’t exactly sure where he was going anymore, but he was thankful when his back hit the wall. He leaned against it, chest heaving, closing his eyes, and welcoming the darkness that came with it. Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder, and he jumped, heart leaping to his throat as he almost tripped over his feet. The Hylian cursed under his breath as he threw out his arms to balance himself, looking up when the person hummed amusedly.

“Hello, Link. You know, I will say, I am a little hurt by the fact that I had to find out about you and Sidon like  _ this.” _

His eyes widened. Zelda stood in front of him, pursing her lips, and Link could have  _ cried. _ She was exactly who he needed to talk to right now. He sharply looked around, checking to see if anyone was watching, before grabbing her arm and pulling her behind a curtain nearby. Hastily, he opened the balcony door behind it and pulled her through, taking a deep breath of fresh air as he closed it before turning around.

The Princess had gasped at the abruptness and cocked an eyebrow at Link once he turned around, brushing imaginary dust off her dress.

“Are you going to explain why I was so  _ rudely  _ yanked out of… oh…  _ Link.” _

Link hadn’t even realized he started crying until he felt the tears roll down his throat. He looked at Zelda, who was holding out her arms, and sniffed before accepting the embrace. She rubbed his back, gently, and he finally relaxed, breath hitching as he let the dam of tears go. He was completely overrun by lassitude, and he probably would’ve collapsed to the ground had the Princess not been holding him up. He choked out a sob, muffled against her shoulder, and she hushed him softly, tightening her embrace. The pressure was comforting, and after a few minutes, he finally calmed down enough to pull away from her.

She looked at him, a wrinkle of worry between her eyebrows. She kept her voice gentle as she said, “Link? What happened?”

Link looked at her, bit his lip, and squeezed his eyes as tight as he could.

Don’t say it.

_ Don’t say it. _

__

“ **_We’re pretending!_ ** _ ” _ Link blurted out, shooting his hands up to cover his face so he didn’t have to look at her reaction. His face was burning so much it was almost unbearable.

“Wh-What do you… you’re…  _ pretending…?” _

Link groaned as he sat on the bench nearby. “Yes?”

“… May I ask why?”

Link looked up at her, desperation clear in his expression. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed; he could tell she was worried about him or… concerned for him. He lifted his hands, sighing dejectedly.

‘King Dorephan and Mipha have been bothering him about getting a partner for months. This was the only way they would stop.’

Zelda frowned at him, tilting her head slightly as she did. “Uh… no…? There are actually many other ways to have gotten them to stop. Like, I don’t know, saying that he’s too busy?”

Link stared at her, lamely. A few seconds passed before he buried his face in his hands and groaned, making the Princess laugh softly as she sat next to him. 

“Right. I have the context now, but… Link… why were you crying?”

He looked over at her and then looked down at his lap. He bit the inside of his cheek before lifting his hands again.

‘Well… people were talking about… about the legend.’

Zelda stiffened beside him. “They were  _ what?” _

Link looked up at her and squinted slightly. ‘… They were talking about—”

“Yes, Link, I saw you the first time. I—” She let out an enraged scoff before jumping up to her feet, pacing around the balcony. “Wh-Who do they think they _ are?!  _ That— I cannot  _ believe—” _

Link sighed before snapping his fingers so that she would look at him.

‘Zelda. They’re right.’

The Princess’s eyes softened as she walked back over to him. He ducked his head, focusing on instead moving a rock around at his feet. She hesitantly got in his field of vision— she had crouched in front of him so that he could look at her.

“… Link—”

‘Zelda, you can’t tell me that the legend is a lie. It was true for everyone before me. Born with the soul of the Hero, fulfill the purpose as the Hero, die right after so that the soul can rest until another Hero is needed. I just… I’m just taking my merry time, I guess.’

“Link, there is surely a reason that— that it hasn’t come true. That was supposed to happen  _ ages  _ ago. I think that—”

He bit his lip before looking into her eyes. ‘I was thinking about… what you told me, before. About the “true” statue of Hylia and how people go to her, asking for… you know. Anything. I was thinking— ’

The Princess’s eyes widened. “Link,  _ no.  _ That is  _ incredibly  _ dangerous! We have no idea what the cost would be, everything we know about it is from books— w-we don’t even know if that statue is  _ real— ” _

‘Then what am I supposed to _ do?!’ _ Link frowned, signs a rapid staccato. He slid away from her before he stood up, his turn to pace the balcony. ‘I-I don’t want to _ die, _ Zelda!’

“I know, Link. I… like I said, there must be a reason why… why it hasn’t come true yet— ”

A knock sounded at the door before it opened carefully, and Link’s heart dropped until he saw Bazz’s head pop out.

“Hey! I thought I saw you guys come out here. Can I… uh…?”

Link nodded and stepped aside so that Bazz could pass. Zelda stood, and upon seeing her the captain bowed briefly before turning to look back at Link. He frowned slightly before trying to smile at him, but there was still a hint of concern under it.

“How are you holding up?”

‘Not… great.’

“Right.” Bazz sighed before sitting on the bench. “Listen, Link, I had no idea about this. I would have told you and Prince Sidon if I did, I  _ swear— ” _

He smiled at him softly. ‘I know, Bazz. Thank you, by the way, for earlier— being the first one to say anything. You practically saved us by doing that.’

The captain grinned at him. “Of course! Anything for the two lovebirds— ”

“ _ Ookay, _ thank you, Bazz.” Link spoke and pursed his lips, before frowning slightly and facing the captain completely. ‘Bazz, why didn’t you tell us Zelda was here?’

“I  _ tried to!” _

‘No, you didn’t!’

“Yeah, well, your  _ boyfriend  _ cut me off—”

Zelda laughed softly before putting a hand up, sitting on the bench as she did. “Okay, that doesn’t matter now. Right now, we need to figure out how to get you two out of this… mess.”

Bazz bit his lip, fumbling with his spear before looking up at them.

“I have an idea. I’ve been thinking about this since the banquet was announced but… you and Sidon might not like it.”

The Hylian looked over at the Zora and cocked an eyebrow. ‘Why do you say that?’

“Well because… I’d say just continue the plan. But you know. In public now, too.”

The Princess frowned as she turned to look at him. “Bazz, did you notice how  _ terrified _ they looked up there? I think, if anything, we should cut this whole thing off right now—”

“Yeah, but, think about it. If they confess to the whole plan _ now,  _ King Dorephan and Princess Mipha are most likely going to get angry at Prince Sidon for lying to them. And, if they confess to it now, the entire Domain is going to lose trust in Sidon. And some people will probably hate Link… you know, those that decided that they do now, as of thirty minutes ago.”

The Hylians listened intently, and Zelda bit her thumb, anxiously.

“That is true. Oh, dear.” 

“Well, I am the captain. I’m paid to think up plans like this.”

Bazz grinned cheekily. The Princess blinked at him before suddenly turning to Link, smacking his arm with the gloves in her hand, ignoring the  _ oww! _ that escaped him.

“You two are _idiots.”_ She huffed. “There are _so many_ other ways Prince Sidon could have handled this instead of dragging you into it— ”

Link bit his lip, shifting his gaze rapidly before looking back at her. ‘I— he asked me. He gave me a choice. And I said yes.’

The Princess stared at him before cocking an eyebrow. She pressed her palms together, pursing her lips. “You said yes. Clear mindedly. You said  _ yes?” _

He blushed and looked to the side. Well, now he was embarrassed to say.

‘… Yes…?’

“Is that… is that bad?” Bazz asked, frowning slightly. 

“Well, it brings up the question as to  _ why _ you said yes, Link, because you have  _ never  _ said yes to anyone e—”

Abruptly, the door swung open and immediately slammed shut. The trio jumped, and Bazz shot up to his feet and gripped the spear in his hands, but almost instantly lowered it and sat back down.

Sidon was leaning against the door, eyes closed, chest heaving as he took deep breaths. Link almost jolted up to comfort him, but then remembered Bazz and Zelda were there too; that would be… too suspicious.

The three exchanged glances, unsure if they should say anything, but then the Prince opened his eyes and gasped. Zelda opened her mouth, starting to stand, then stopped halfway and clamped her mouth shut when Sidon rushed over to Link, a wide smile on his face.

“Link! Oh,  _ Link— ” _

Sidon kneeled and grabbed a hold of his hands, and the Hylian felt a heat flush over the entirety of his face— even the tips of his ears felt hot. He anxiously side-eyed Zelda and Bazz before looking back up at the Prince, whose eyes were filled with worry.

“Link, my  _ dearest _ friend, are you okay? Oh, goddess, I am so,  _ so sorry.  _ I had no idea this would happen, and I completely understand if—”

Link laughed breathily, and he could  _ feel  _ his eyes going soft as they crinkled at Sidon. His heart was racing, but it wasn’t because of the adrenaline of the banquet anymore.

Not at all.

“I’m okay, Sidon… I promise.” He spoke softly, and the sigh of relief Sidon gave him made him smile even more.

Link flickered his gaze back over to the Princess and the captain. Bazz was staring at them, blankly, probably thinking about something else. But Zelda— Zelda was cocking an eyebrow at them, and slowly her expression faded into amusement. She caught Link’s eye and looked at him inquiringly, which only made him blush some more. He looked back up at Sidon, who was still very much staring at him with a soft smile on his face.

Suddenly Zelda stood up, straightened out her dress, crossed her arms in front of her, and cleared her throat. “Prince Sidon! A pleasure to see you again.”

Link watched as Sidon’s eyes widened humorously, his face rapidly turning a dark teal as he snapped his head towards the Princess. And then he switched his gaze to Bazz, who merely saluted him lazily. When Sidon looked back at him, Link was biting his lip, failing miserably to hide his giggle. The Prince looked down at their hands and let out an  _ oh goddess—  _

Sidon jumped up onto his feet haphazardly and promptly let go of Link’s hands, facing Zelda and stammering as he dusted himself off before bowing to her. Bazz snorted at him and was very obviously trying to hold back a guffaw, while the Princess simply tilted her head and smiled amusedly up at him.

“P-Princess Zelda! I am _so sorry,_ please pardon me, I-I was not aware that you were here, I—” Sidon froze, hesitating. “… Actually, I did not even know you were in the Domain…?” 

He looked over at the captain, frowning. “Bazz, did you not think to tell me that Princess Zelda was here?”

The smile wiped off the captain’s face as he threw his hands up, exasperated. “Oh, my goddess—  _ I  _ **_did_ ** _ , actually—” _

“Sidon.” The Princess cut in; a smile still plastered on her face. “I’m glad you found us, even if it was an accident. We were actually just trying to figure out a plan for you two.”

The Prince froze. “… A plan?”

Link blushed and he stepped forward, immediately regretting it when the other three turned to look at him. ‘You know, since this is our problem, I think it’d be better if we figure this out on our own… right?’

Zelda stared at him, a hint of a smile on her face. Bazz shrugged as he stood up, walking towards the door. 

“We’ll be out here standing guard. Well, I will. Because I’m the captain. And I— you know what? We’ll just be out here.” The captain said, waving as he walked out the door.

The Princess nodded, following behind. “Right. Well, we told you what we have so far. Please make sure to  _ actually _ discuss it.”

Link frowned as she smiled mischievously and left the balcony as well. Once the door shut behind them, the Hylian turned to look at Sidon, who had sat down on the bench. His elbows rested on his knees; his face buried in his hands.

“Link… I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I promise.” The Hylian responded, walked over, and sat next to him. “… Sidon?”

“Yes?”

“Did you hear… what people were saying? About— ”

The Prince looked over at him. “… About the legend?” 

The Hylian sighed and nodded, looking down at his lap. Sidon huffed, the air leaving his gills caressing the top of his hair. The Prince slid closer to him as he wrapped an arm around the Hylian, pulling him flush against his side. Link relaxed in his arms, and he let his eyes flutter shut, letting his head rest on Sidon’s chest.

“I… I’m sorry, Sidon. I just… I just got you in a lot of trouble, didn’t I?” He whispered, sniffing unwillingly as tears pooled in his eyes.

Link thought about their conversation out on the reservoir and he laughed, fatigued. Maybe he  _ did _ have a curse on him when it came to things like this.

Sidon ducked his head slightly and didn’t talk until Link looked back up at him. “Link, you did not do anything wrong. I promise. Anything anyone said about that has no merit to me.”

“Sidon…they’re not wrong—”

“I know, Link. I am aware.”

“… I— Sidon, the plan—”

“What about it?”

“… Shouldn’t we… everyone is talking about… about how it’s  _ me  _ you chose to “court”—”

“Link.”

The Hylian looked up at him, eyes stinging with the tears pooling in his eyes. Sidon smiled softly at him, moving to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear, the side of his hand barely grazing his cheek as he did. The Hylian dared to let his eyes flutter shut at the gesture. It was the exact peacefulness he desperately needed right now.

“Nothing they say could ever keep me from you.”

Link froze, face going hot and his heart immediately beginning to pound in his ears. He opened his eyes, hastily searching the Prince’s face, for… for  _ something.  _ The Prince turned a dark teal and started to sputter, and the reaction made Link laugh breathily as he looked down at his lap. 

Of course.

Sidon didn’t mean it like that.  _ Of course he didn’t.  _ It was just a slip of the tongue— he was a fool for even thinking about getting his hopes up. He bit his cheek hard, more so to bring himself back to reality. He cleared his throat, cutting Sidon off from his babbling. 

“I… thank you, Sidon.” He smiled at him, his heart twisting painfully, desperately wanting to change the subject. “So. Um. When we were all out here, we were talking about… about what we could do. Bazz brought up the idea of… continuing the plan? But extending it to the public now. Not just… you know.”

The Prince nodded, slowly. “Link would you… would you be okay with that? That is asking so much of you, so much more than what I already have—”

Link licked his lips, pulling away from Sidon’s embrace to stand up and pace slightly. The Prince watched him curiously as he did.

“I am okay with it. It won’t change  _ that _ much. We’ll just keep doing what we’ve been doing. Except… outside now, too.” He turned back to look at him. “… Are you?”

The Prince stared at him for a bit before breaking out into his famous, blinding smile. “Yes, I am.”

Link nodded, stopping in the middle of the balcony. Sidon cocked his head at him, frowning slightly.

“What’s wrong, Link?”

“I…” Link bit his lip. “… Do you remember what we talked about earlier?”

“… Yes, I do. Is there… are you sure about continuing this, Link?”

The Hylian nodded, almost a little too rapidly. “Yes, I am. I just— I’ve never. Um. We’ve only done this inside the palace, and I’ve obviously never done… public displays of affection—”

Sidon chuckled, softly. “Me neither.”

Link blushed and looked up at him. Just thinking about being the first person he does that with was making him dizzy.

“Uh… so… how are we…?”

“We are a team, are we not? We will figure it out together.” Sidon smiled down at him, shrugging slightly. “We have an entire month to learn.”

They smiled at each other and laughed breathily, Link shaking his head slightly.

“Yeah, I… I guess we do, don’t we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **okay! just to explain a little further just in case you didn't grasp it:**
> 
>   1. i'm following the idea of the reincarnation theory, but i added a part that states that all the links die (almost) immediately after ganon is defeated. for the drama.
>   2. the zoras don't want sidon to be heartbroken if the theory comes true and link dies. they just want to protect him. _some_ of them are upset that link isn't a zora, but that's the basic conflict there 
> also, thank you so much for being patient while i was gone doing finals! and, thank you again to everyone who leaves comments on these chapters, you guys are all so sweet! <3 **_tumblr:_** ([dreamingoverthehorizonn](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/))



	5. Chapter 5

It’s no surprise to Sidon that having a meeting at the crack of dawn would end up in chaos.

He had warned his father before it had even started— even Mipha had pleaded King Dorephan to reschedule. But, he didn’t, and that’s how they had found themselves in this… situation.

“Hmm, I don’t know.” Muzu mused, a tinge of malice underneath his words. “Perhaps we should ask Link? Since suddenly he is so _welcome_ here.”

Sidon clenched his fists under the table. His pupils contracted, and he schooled his expression into something he hoped was calmer than what he was feeling. The council of elders had been acting like this the entire morning, and his patience had long run thin.

“Well, we couldn’t ask _Link_ about this, because he knows nothing about our business with the Rito.” Mipha rebuked. None of the elders in front of them batted an eye.

“If Link _really_ wants to be with Sidon, he should put more _effort_ into becoming acquainted with our dealings.” Trello sneered.

Sidon held his breath and bit the inside of his cheek, wincing at the sharp pain and the sudden hint of blood in his mouth. He planned his next words minutely, but before he could even open his mouth King Dorephan exhaled sharply, slamming his trident onto the ground.

“ **_Enough!_ ** _”_ The King snarled, growling loudly as he eyed the entire row of elders. They jumped at the outburst, and Sidon couldn’t help the satisfied grin that took over his face.

“I am cutting this meeting short— obviously, the amount of years one has been alive serves naught to differentiate them from a _child._ You are all dismissed. I will announce when we will continue this discussion. **_Good day._ ** _”_

An atmosphere of passiveness washed over the council of elders as they all stood up, bowed, and filed out of the room. As soon as they left, the air became bearable to breathe in again.

The Prince took a deep breath, sighing as he slumped back into his chair. He pinched the flesh between his eyes and clenched his jaw before looking up, taken aback by the way Mipha and King Dorephan were staring directly at him.

“… I am assuming that I am not dismissed yet?” Sidon muttered, defeatedly, dragging his hand down his face.

Mipha gave him a tight smile. “You assume correctly.”

King Dorephan sighed heavily, calling Sidon’s attention. His father leaned forward, interlocking his fingers as he rested his hands on the table.

“I’m sorry for holding you, Sidon. I know you would rather be back in bed with Link at the moment, but, please. Hear my words.”

Sidon pursed his lips as he blushed. His father wasn’t _wrong,_ but geez, he didn’t have to say it _out loud._

“I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I am so, incredibly sorry.” King Dorephan lowered his head. “I was just so elated at the fact that you and Link are together, that I did not take the time to think about the possible consequences of my actions. I meant no harm. Please, forgive me, my son.”

The Prince stared at his father, heart wrenching in his chest. He didn’t like seeing his father like this. He never has— it took a lot for him to even get close to this point of distress.

“…Dad—” Sidon smiled at the way King Dorephan’s eyes lit up at the term. “I forgive you. I am sure that Link does too. We know that you meant well, that your heart was in the right place, so despite everything. We appreciate the gesture. Although, I must admit… it would have been nice to have been notified about it beforehand— or to have had a say in the event at all.”

His father smiled down at him, tiredly. He sighed as he leaned back in his seat, letting out a soft grunt as he did, one that became more and more common the more he aged.

“Yes, I understand. You have every right to feel that way. I promise not to do such a thing without your permission again.”

“Thank you, father.”

Sidon smiled back up at him, genuinely thankful for the fact that his father was so understanding. Mipha sat up in her seat, directing an amused grin at him.

“Sidon,” She started, leaning in. “Were you in the room for father’s announcement?”

“…Announcement?” He repeated, frowning as he turned his gaze back to his father. “What announcement?”

King Dorephan grinned sheepishly down at him, whistling an awkward note before looking away.

“I… _may have…_ lost my temper… a little bit.”

“A _little bit?”_ Mipha questioned, letting out a laugh. “Father, you told the entire kingdom off for their reaction towards Link. I saw people _cry.”_

The Prince stilled, not really knowing how else to reply but by letting out a strangled _you what?!_

“I had to do what had to be done! I may be the King, but I am also your _father!_ I have to protect you, and by extension, I also have to protect Link. _As if_ I was going to allow the Domain to disrespect my future son-in-law!”

Sidon choked violently, squeaking out a weak, _“S-_ **_son-in-law?_ ** _”_

King Dorephan froze, letting out an _oops!_

“Did I say that out loud? Oh, my apologies, Sidon. No pressure!” He grinned widely.

A loud snort escaped Mipha and she covered her mouth, snickering behind her hand.

“Anyways, not to bust in and boast too, but I went around to talk to everyone about you and Link. I managed to change some more minds, so, you’re _welcome.”_

Even through the shock of the Freudian slip, his heart felt incredibly warm. He hadn’t expected them to go that far in defending them— if he were completely honest, he hadn’t thought they would do anything to defend them at all.

He was incredibly grateful for them. It was nice to know they had his back but… a bubble of guilt boiled in the pit of his stomach at the reminder that he and Link were just pretending. They had done all this to trick Mipha and King Dorephan— this wasn’t meant to have gone into the public. 

Oh, goddess.

Sidon looked up at them, assuming the best smile he could.

“Thank you. The both of you. I really do appreciate it— I am more grateful than I could ever put into words.”

Mipha and King Dorephan beamed at him, and his father cleared his throat before stroking his chin as he said,

“Of course, my boy. But… you must be aware that there are still quite a few people who are wary about the two of you. I was thinking that maybe being in public with Link would help; it would show people that you two are serious. Perhaps you could take him down to the market later? It’s crowded with Zora from the Domain and the villages, so there will be plenty of people to see you together.”

Sidon nodded slowly as he narrowed his eyes. That was a good point— after all, they had managed to fool Mipha and King Dorephan by acting like a couple in front of them. Fooling a few more people shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Though, he was going to make sure Link was absolutely okay with the plan before going; he didn’t want to cause the Hylian any more unnecessary stress than he already has.

And if he wasn’t okay with it, they would figure something out. They always did.

“I suppose we could. I was planning to go down to the training grounds later to observe the guards, anyway, so going beforehand will surely be doable.”

His father grinned widely, clapping his hands excitedly. “Great! Well, now that we have _that_ conversation out of the way…”

Sidon watched curiously as his father leaned down, casually, before eagerly slamming two _gigantic_ baskets of flowers onto the table.

“We got you these flowers to give to Link!” His father shook the baskets excitedly. “You know! To cheer him up!”

The Prince completely froze as he stared at the baskets in front of him, not exactly processing the rapid change in subject. Once everything sank in, however, his face went _hot,_ eyes darting with frantic speed between his father and Mipha, both shamelessly wearing wide grins on their faces.

“I- I— _what?”_

“Dad came up with the idea! But _I_ was the one to ask Zelda about his favorite flowers, just to make this a little more special.” Mipha smiled as she motioned to the baskets. “Blue nightshades and white wildflowers! I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit of a… weird combination, but it’s _guaranteed_ to make him happy!”

Well… he couldn’t argue with that. Of course he wanted Link to be happy— of course he wanted to be _the_ reason he was happy.

But wouldn’t flowers give him away? Wouldn’t they make Link question his intentions?

… Was he thinking too much about this?

“I…” Sidon licked his lips. “Thank you. I will— I will take these to him. I… thanks.”

Hesitantly, he stood up, wary of the looks reeking of _good luck_ that was on Mipha and King Dorephan’s faces. Grabbing a hold of the baskets, he bowed before making his way out of the room. The hallway was quiet except for the sound of his footsteps, and as he made his way up the stairs, he stole a look at the flowers. He wondered if he should really take credit for the flowers— it hadn’t been his idea, after all. But… if he didn’t, wouldn’t it seem like he was just following orders? 

Admittedly, Sidon didn’t know much about flowers, but he could tell that these were _beautiful._ He could see them being the Hylian’s favorite, and he wondered how he would react once he saw them. He hoped it made him happy. Link had been upset last night (understandably). He hadn’t even bothered to change clothes before collapsing on the bed. Although… When Sidon asked if he wanted the bed to himself last night, Link had insisted that he stay with him; he had even taken the initiative to get into his arms.

He smiled warmly at the memory, and before he knew it, his feet had led him to stop in front of his doors.

Sidon unlocked the door and stepped into the room, quietly shutting it behind him. From the looks of it, Link was still asleep, and so he padded over to his side of the bed, lightly placing the baskets onto the bedside table beside him. Intending to go over to his armoire, he turned but froze at the sight of the Hylian in bed.

He looked so _peaceful._ The Prince smiled, absentmindedly, and reached to tuck a strand of golden hair behind his ear. He lingered— he let himself brush his cheek with the side of his hand, gently caressing his face with his thumb. Maybe it had been his imagination, but he thinks he had felt him lean into his touch.

And then Link’s eyes fluttered open, and Sidon let out a muted yelp as he _lurched_ back.

“… Sidon?” Link sat up, voice adorably hoarse with sleep. “Wh—”

The Hylian rubbed his eyes, which were probably still trying to get adjusted to the amount of light in the room. Sidon watched as he squinted in his direction, and judging from how confused he was, he concluded that Link hadn’t noticed that he had been cupping his face.

Thank _goddess._ Hylia was looking out for him, he was _sure_ of it.

Slowly, the Hylian’s eyes drifted, and he froze as soon as he had caught sight of the baskets next to him. Sidon grinned widely as he gently caressed one of the flowers, almost as if he were checking if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Link warily looked up at him. “...Are… Are these flowers for me?” 

This was _definitely_ worth having to go through that dreadful meeting earlier. The Prince nodded, wringing his hands, his nerves unexpectedly hitting him at full force again.

“Yes, they are. I hope you like them,” He whispered.

Link bit his lip, unsuccessfully trying to bite back a smile. The sight made his heart pinball around in his chest, and he mentally pumped his fists. The Hylian’s expression was so unbearably soft, and his eyes, though still heavy with sleep, sparkled as bright as usual. He was so achingly _beautiful_ Sidon felt his throat clamp up just looking at him. 

Link ducked his head shyly, bright red blush extending to his ears. “...That’s really sweet, Sidon. Thank you. I love them.” 

Sidon could only flash him a smile before walking over to his dresser, desperately needing his thoughts to calm down before facing him again. He took deep breaths as he took off his regalia, still dead set on going back to sleep for a few hours before breakfast.

“... These are my favorite.” Sidon could _hear_ his smile, and he grinned as he closed his eyes, repeating the phrase under his breath. “How did you know?”

He shrugged playfully. “Lucky guess, I suppose.”

Link huffed out a laugh behind him, and Sidon responded to it with his own. He finished placing all his jewelry on the dresser, not bothering to put them back in their place since he was going to put them all back on in a few hours, anyway. He turned around, and the sight in front of him just about took his breath away.

The Hylian was holding one of the blue nightshades in his hands, smiling warmly behind the flower. His eyes fluttered as they slid shut, and his ears twitched slightly. The rays of the rising sun filtering in through the windows illuminated Link; it was almost as if he had a halo. He studied him, wanting to remember this moment forever.

“These were actually my mother’s favorite…” Link started, and Sidon bashfully took the cue to walk back to the bed. “She had a whole section of the garden dedicated to them.” 

Link laughed breathily, caressing the petals as he did, looking at the flower as if it was his most precious possession. The Prince lifted the comforter as carefully as he could, and slowly got under it, not wanting to interrupt the Hylian as he reminisced.

“She didn’t really like them when she was younger… they didn’t become her favorite until the night my father confessed to her. My mom said he had taken her to this field, and it had some of these scattered throughout. Since they glow in the dark, it’s one of the things she remembered the most about that night. She said… she said that that day was when it all clicked for her. She just… knew he was the one.”

“It’s silly but…” The Hylian smiled and bit his lip, chuckling breathily. “I always wanted that too. When I was younger, of course. I thought it was _so_ romantic.”

Sidon laughed softly, and Link turned to look at him, laughing with him. The Hylian’s face was flushed pink, and the Prince made a mental note to properly thank his father and Mipha for the flowers.

Admittedly, he also thought about asking Mipha where she had picked them from….

Maybe he could take Link there?

“Your parents sound lovely.” He whispered.

A wrinkle appeared between Link’s brows as he shifted his gaze down to his lap, where his hands had fallen absentmindedly.

“Yeah… they were.”

A blanket of silence fell over them, and Sidon was starting to wonder if he had said the wrong thing when Link looked over at him. The Hylian swallowed thickly before moving closer, slowly leaned in, and finally rested his head on his chest. Almost as if it were muscle memory, Sidon wrapped an arm around him, pulling him in closer. His warmth was comforting— grounding, in a way. Suddenly, all the frustrations of that morning left him.

“Sidon…?”

“Yes?”

“… I…” Link licked his lips and frowned, staring at his hands. “Sometimes I… I wonder if they’re proud of me.”

A sniff sounded from him, quiet, as if he hadn’t wanted Sidon to hear him. The Prince frowned slightly, sitting up enough to duck his head so that Link would look at him.

Teary blue eyes looked back up at him, but still, the Hylian tried to force a smile. Strings tugged at his heart, and that was probably why Sidon had lifted his hand to cup Link’s face— he winced when he realized what he had done, though, and swiftly forced his hand back onto his lap.

Link stared at him for a few seconds before slowly putting his hand on top of Sidon’s; when the Prince didn’t say or do anything, the Hylian brought his hand back up to his face, resting his cheek into his palm. Sidon smiled softly at him, thumb wiping away a stray tear that rolled down his cheek.

“I have no doubt in my mind that they were proud of you, Link.” He whispered.

The Hylian closed his eyes, a few more tears falling as his bottom lip trembled.

“I… I never got to see them again.” His hand trembled against his. “… For all I know, they thought… they thought that I had died fighting Ganon.”

“My dear friend, even if they did believe you died a hundred years ago, on that battlefield, they would have believed that knowing that their son fought until his last breath.”

Link opened his eyes, looking away from him as he huffed weakly. Sidon moved his hand to fully cradle his face, and the Hylian leaned into his touch even more.

“You are so brave, Link. And so very, very courageous. You are incredible in so many ways. They thought the world of you. I am unquestionably sure of it.”

Link returned his gaze up at him and smiled ever so gently, sniffing quietly as he did. A few beats of silence passed before he slowly lowered both of their hands to the bed.

“…Thank you, Sidon.” He whispered, staring down at their hands.

“Of course, Link.”

The Hylian slowly lay on his side, facing him, and the Prince took the invitation to lay down as well. 

The two only stared at each other for a few seconds before they moved closer, wrapping their arms around each other, Link resting his head under his, just as they had done every night now. It was funny, how holding each other like this had become second nature to them so quickly.

If Sidon wanted to hope, just for a little bit, he would think that it was almost as if they were _meant_ to be like this.

But he didn’t say anything. Neither did Link.

They just slept.

* * *

Breakfast went by without any mishaps. The conversation had mostly been about Zelda’s reasoning for visiting the Domain— she had intended to go work on Vah Ruta with Mipha. Arriving in time for the banquet yesterday, about a half a day earlier than her schedule, had merely been a coincidence.

As they ate, he did happen to catch the way Princess Zelda would send Link a look whenever he and the Hylian interacted “romantically.”

He also happened to catch the way Link would blush furiously and steadfastly ignore her until she eventually made another face at him.

Sidon didn’t really question it, though. They were best friends, after all— speaking in facial expressions was just as natural as an actual conversation to them.

Link had agreed to go to the market and had ad nauseum assured Sidon that he was absolutely okay with going. About an hour after breakfast, they were making their way out of the palace when they ran into Zelda, who immediately eyed the way Sidon’s arm was wrapped around the Hylian. The Prince subconsciously loosened his grip. 

“Ooh! Where are you two off to?”

The Princess had an unreadable expression on her face— to him, at least. Link, on the other hand, rolled his eyes at her and pursed his lips.

Sometimes he wished he could read her the way Link could. But then again, judging by how flustered Link was, maybe it was better that he couldn’t.

‘We’re going out.’

Zelda raised her eyebrows. “Oh, _that much_ I am aware of, thank you.” She laughed when Link scowled at her. The two Hylians stared at each other, and after a few seconds, Link sighed defeatedly.

‘We’re going down to the market. Sidon’s going to show me around.’

A glint entered her eyes and she hummed amusedly. Sidon wasn’t going to lie; her impish behavior was starting to make him leery.

“ _Aww,_ that’s so sweet! Well, excuse me, I must be on my way now, Mipha is waiting for me at the bridge.” She started walking before turning around, grinning widely. _“Have fun on your date!”_

Link blushed furiously, and grabbed his arm, dragging them out of the palace doors as Zelda laughed behind them. Sidon’s head was buzzing—

_Date?!_

Was this a _date?!_ His eyes widened as his face turned a dark teal, and he was glad Link wasn’t looking at him because he surely would have been concerned at the way he was going through a face journey right now.

He hadn’t thought about this being a date… was this technically their second date?

The Prince cringed internally as he followed Link’s lead. He’s pretty sure taking Link to the Zora market as a second date wasn’t very Prince-like; he could have done _so much_ better.

But… Link seemed fine about it, so he supposed he could let it slide.

Wait a second, did these even count as dates? They didn’t, right? This relationship was fake. They were pretending. So did Link see these as just hanging out? Or did he see these as dates too?

Did Sidon see them as dates?

His head hurt with the number of questions bubbling in his head.

The Prince pulled himself together as soon as they had to greet someone on their way down the river; actually, they had been able to interact with quite a few people before they even made it to the market. Thankfully, everyone thus far had been overwhelmingly kind and supportive of them, and Sidon could feel the Hylian relaxing against him.

As soon as the archway of the market came into view, however, Link tensed, grabbed his arm, and dragged him over to the side.

The Hylian chewed at his lip as he wrung his hands in front of him, sighing heavily before looking up at him. ‘Sidon, I know I said that I was okay with this, but what if…’

Sidon frowned slightly. “… What if what?”

‘What if… what if people act like they did yesterday?’

“Well…” Sidon said, smiling softly as he placed his hands on each of his shoulders. “We have each other, right? When have we not been able to get through a situation together?”

‘… You’re right.’ Link smiled. ‘We got this.’

“We got this.”

Link took a step closer to him and bit his lip, gently grabbing Sidon’s arm and wrapping it around his own shoulders. The Hylian interlocked his fingers with his, and the Prince couldn’t help the adoring smile that took over his face, and he _definitely_ couldn’t help the way his heart skipped a beat when Link looked up at him and simpered. 

He had to admit— holding hands with the Hylian was a little awkward, considering how much bigger his hands were compared to Link’s, but he still really, _really_ liked it. Sidon hummed happily as they walked through the gates together, and as soon as they did, he immediately perked up.

“That is Talora!” He explained, pointing towards the elder’s stand of sweets. “She is always very kind, would you like to meet her, Link?”

The Hylian nodded, excitedly, and Sidon closed his eyes briefly so that he could take in that smile in small doses. Goddess, he was so handsome it wasn’t _fair._

They walked over, and as soon as the black Zora popped up from behind the counter, she gasped loudly, eyes widening comically. Link startled slightly, and Sidon laughed as Talora began smiling widely.

“Good morning, Prince Sidon!” She bowed to him. “And I see you have brought your Link, how _splendid!_ Oh, goddess Hylia, it is _such_ a pleasure to meet you!” Talora bowed to the Hylian, making him blush.

“O-oh— um, i-it is a pleasure to meet you, too!” Link bowed back at her, and the elder began cackling heartily.

“Oh you sweet boy! No need to bow to an old lady like me! Let me tell you, when I—” Talora froze in her movements. _“Goddess, where are my manners?!_ I am Talora, I live in the village west of the Domain. I used to teach Prince Sidon here when he was younger— what a little _rascal_ he was!”

Link covered his mouth with his hand and shyly laughed behind it. Sidon, on the other hand, was paying absolutely no attention to the conversation happing in front of him; he had been struck dumb by the way the afternoon June sun only enhanced the Hylian’s soft glow. Those cerulean blue doe eyes were just all the more striking in this light, and the way the sun shone off his hair made it look like gold. He briefly wondered how it would look if Link let his hair down; actually, he didn’t even have to wonder. He knew he would be stunning any way he looked. His traveling eyes caught sight of the Hylian’s ears moving— he never noticed that Link’s ears twitched when he laughed, but now that he has, he was hyper-aware of it.

Goddess, what Sidon would do to show Link just how much of a wannabe poet he made him.

The Hylian giggled. “Any stories I should know?”

“Oh, so many! But that’s for another time. Let me say, I was absolutely _elated_ at the announcement yesterday. I have to be honest; I didn’t think he’d find someone as amazing as you— no offense, Prince Sidon— but _oh!_ You are just a _sweetheart,_ aren’t you!”

Link laughed (his ears twitched, and they even downturned slightly) and turned pink. “Th-thank you, you are so kind.”

Talora grinned at him before turning on her heel to face Sidon, hands on her hips.

“And don’t think I didn’t catch you staring at Link this entire time, mister! Are you even listening to me?!” She smacked his arm with a towel in her hand and Sidon jumped, face feeling hot.

“Wh-what? I— I—”

Link ducked his head, blushing furiously and smiling ear to ear. The Hylian tucked a lock of hair behind his ear and the Prince simpered at him, and Talora responded by slapping his arm again. He pouted at her as she shook her head.

“Link, you have this poor boy _wrapped_ around your finger!”

“W-well, I wouldn’t— I wouldn’t say that—” Link responded, rubbing his arm demurely.

“Ah— thank you, Talora!” Sidon exclaimed, face a dark teal. “W-we should get going—”

The elder frowned. “What, you’re not going to _buy_ anything?”

Sidon froze. Link looked up at him and jutted out his bottom lip.

And that was how they had left Talora’s stand with two slices of apple pie, some cream puffs, and a handful of candy. Sidon hadn’t meant to buy so much, but it had made the Hylian so happy; what else was he supposed to do?

Sidon led Link away from Talora and introduced him to a few more vendors, mainly ones who have been selling at the market since he was younger. Most of them responded the same way as Talora did right off the bat, but others took more time to warm up to the two. As soon as they did, however, they were extremely elated for and about them.

King Dorephan was right— seeing the two of them interact like a couple in public was helping the Zora’s opinion of them, and it didn’t hurt that Link was getting happier with every positive reaction.

As they walked through, a few Zora walked up to them, bowed, and recited _may the sun, the moon, and all the stars above smile upon you_ before they left.

However, it wasn’t until probably the sixth person to do this that Link stopped in his tracks, turning to look at him.

“Sidon?” He said, furrowing his eyebrows slightly as he moved his spoon around the ice cream in his cup. “Why do people keep saying that?”

The Prince blushed and he puffed out his cheeks, awkwardly. “Um… it is a Zora custom to— to say that to those who have entered a new relationship…”

Link turned pink, putting a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. “Oh. Okay.”

“And it is only—” Sidon bit his cheek.

No.

He doesn’t need to know _that_ part.

“… It’s only what?”

**_Fuck._ **

“Er… it is only said t-to couples that are believed to have a… very strong chance… of staying together.”

Link blinked at him before snorting, letting out an amused hum before turning around and walking again. Sidon stilled, frowning as he took a few long strides to catch up to him.

“Is something the matter, Link?”

The Hylian stopped and turned, cocking an eyebrow as he smiled at him. “…No? Why do you say that?”

“Well—” Sidon stammered, searching his face as he did. “You are acting as if I… as if I just told you a joke.”

There was a flash of… _something_ over Link’s face. He thought it may have been dejection, but Link switched to a bright smile before he could even look properly. Sidon assumed he must’ve been imagining it, but deep down, he knew he hadn’t.

“I was just thinking that there are going to be _a lot_ of people upset with you in a month. Especially your father. Mipha told me he had let slip the _son-in-law_ card at the meeting earlier.” Link chuckled breathily, shrugging as he started to walk again.

Sidon pushed down the feeling of lethargy that overcame him and was only stunned for a second before catching up to Link again, grabbing his arm and dragging him behind the stands where no one could hear them talk. He ignores the _hey!_ Link let out, and once he was sure they were far enough, he looked down at him.

“Why do you say that?”

“… Why do I say what?”

“That people are going to be upset with me.”

The Hylian’s face fell into a flummoxed expression. “Well… because you’re going to break up with me.” He said, matter-of-factly.

Time stopped.

“Wh— Link— wh-why would I be the one to break up with you?”

Link frowned. “Because…? Because that’s just how it is, isn’t it? The Prince breaks it all off.”

“… Link, if anything, in a month everyone is going to be upset with _you_ for breaking up with _me.”_

“Wh— _what?”_ The Hylian scoffed out a laugh, squinting at him as if he were checking whether he was pulling a prank on him or not. “Sidon, _no.”_

The Prince clamped his jaw shut as he stared back at him, incredulously. He exhaled sharply, surprisingly a little peeved despite himself, and he licked his lips as he looked back over to the market. A realization dawned on him as he watched the shoppers go by. His expression dropped into something more solicitous.

“Link…” He started, looking down at his feet before looking back at the Hylian. “Do you… do you think you are not good enough for me to want to stay with you?”

The Hylian turned bright red and he flailed his hands in the air, letting out a short, hysteric laugh. “Sidon, what are you _talking_ about? **_Of course_ **I’m not good enough for you to want to stay with me!”

“Link, how could you _say_ that?”

“What do you mean, _how could I say that?”_

“Link, _I_ am the one who is not good enough for _you_ to want to stay with _me.”_

The Hylian was looking at him as if he had just lost his mind— Sidon had no doubt that he was wearing the same expression.

“Sidon, y-you’re a _Prince.”_ He makes a strangled noise. “I am _nothing_ compared to that! Not only that, but you’re— you’re the _nicest_ person ever, you care about everyone so much— you’re the most positive person I know! Everyone _loves_ you—”

“Link—” Sidon asserted, trying desperately to wrap his head around everything that was happening. “My dear friend, how could you say that about yourself? You are so, so wonderful, and so sweet, and _kind,_ and _loving._ You have done so many selfless things for so many people— you have done so many selfless things for _me._ And you do not expect anything in return! You’re saying that I would be the one to let you go, but if you were _really_ mine, I would never even _dream_ of it!”

Link looked stiff, but he was staring at him curiously, and really, Sidon couldn’t do anything but keep going. “You would be the one to leave me, Link, because I do not deserve you _at_ _all.”_

The Hylian bit his lip and ducked his head. Sidon’s breath hitched, everything he just said suddenly crashing over him. Oh… he practically just confessed to him, didn’t he? Goddess, he was so _stupid—_

His thoughts skidded to a halt as a distant scoff left the Hylian.

“…Come on, silly billy.” Link said, smiling as he started to walk backward. “We still have the rest of the market to go to.”

He turned around and went towards the main path, and Sidon stood there for a bit, dumbfounded.

No one has ever called him _silly billy_ before. 

He smiled.

He… likes it. He wants Link to call him that again.

Stupidly, Sidon followed him. He could feel his tail wagging as he walked next to him, but he didn’t really mind as much as he thought he would. They were able to make it all the way to the end of the market, which wrapped around to meet the entrance, without an incident. He was surprised at how little disapproval he saw here; maybe King Dorephan and Mipha had a bigger impact on the Zora than he had thought.

As they approached the archway, Link suddenly stopped. Sidon looked down at him, about to ask if something was wrong, and almost _aww!ed_ at the sight of a small Zora child tugging at his pants. The Hylian smiled, dropping to his knees to be at face level with her.

“Hello!” The Hylian’s voice was warm; it sounded like the way it felt to hold him.

The little girl immediately lit up. She started bouncing on the balls of her feet, grinning widely.

“You’re Link!”

He giggled. “I am, yes.”

“You’re the one dating Prince Sidon!”

Sidon grinned— he couldn’t see Link’s face from this angle, but he _could_ see the tips of his ears get red.

“Yes, I am the one dating Prince Sidon.” The Hylian laughed, putting a hand on the nape of his neck, rubbing at it.

The child let out a _wow_ as she stared at him full awe. She looked up at the Prince, and he smiled softly at her, giving her a small wave. The girl giggled and she stepped closer to Link, putting a hand up to his ear, loudly whispering,

“What’s it like dating a prince?”

“It’s…” Link turned to look up at him, biting his lip as he smiled, benign and vibrant. “It’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The way the Hylian’s words could enervate Sidon always left him dumb and tongue-tied. He couldn’t help it— that single phrase was making him smile like an idiot and honestly, he felt like he was about to faint.

He bit his tongue, forcing himself to remember that it’s not _real._ Link was _acting,_ but _goddess_ was Link the best actor he’s ever known.

With a huff, he kneeled, smiling down at the two of them, but mainly at the Hylian. “And dating Link is the best thing to have ever happened to _me._ He is the love of my life.”

Sidon watched haughtily as the Hylian’s face turned bright red, but the little girl in front of them was just giggling wildly. She squealed as she grabbed onto both of Link’s hands.

“He’s your Prince Charming!”

Link laughed breathily, in that way that always made Sidon’s heart skip a beat. “Yes, yes he is.” He looked over at him and grinned as if he were countering his response. _“My Prince Charming.”_

Judging by the way his face felt hot, Sidon was sure that he was a dark teal. Link looked satisfied at his reaction.

“I hope one day I’ll find my own prince like you did!”

Link laughed, wishing her luck as he patted her head; the girl shrieked out a _bye!_ Before running off, most likely to her parents. The Prince stood up, and the Hylian followed his lead, dusting off his pants before they made their way back towards the training grounds.

As they walked down the path, Sidon sidled up to him and nudged his shoulder with his arm. Link looked at him and cocked an eyebrow, and the Prince met his expression with a smug smirk.

“I am your _Prince Charming?”_ He teased, wrapping an arm around the Hylian’s shoulder.

Link let out a hearty scoff, blushing furiously as he shoved Sidon away from him. “Shut up. I was trying to make her happy.”

“I did not hear a no!” Sidon crooned.

“You also didn’t hear a yes!” Link mimicked, rolling his eyes.

The Prince guffawed and grinned widely as he stepped closer to him. Link didn’t protest when Sidon wrapped his arm around him again. 

* * *

Bazz was already waiting at the field doors, and he smiled widely upon seeing the two of them.

“Hey!” He jogged up to them and pulled them into a hug, which was more of a hug for Link than Sidon; he was too big. “Link, I didn’t know you were coming too!”

The Hylian smiled. ‘Sidon dragged me along.’

“I did not! I _asked_ if you wanted to come!”

Link grinned widely and Bazz laughed at the two of them. “Alright, lovebirds. Follow me.”

The captain led them into the training grounds, and at the sight of them, all the guards let out a collective sigh of relief. Bazz laughed quietly and spoke to them from the corner of his mouth.

“They just finished the archery drills. They’re really glad you weren’t here for that— it was a _disaster.”_

He cleared his throat and stepped up onto a platform, austerely slamming his spear onto the ground. “Guards! Prince Sidon and Master Link are here for the observation!”

The guards stood up straight and saluted them, before dipping into a bow. Sidon was, admittedly, always a bit taken aback by the persona Bazz took on when he was… actually doing his job. He merely nodded his head towards the Zora, and he watched as Link waved at them, smiling.

Bazz slammed his spear onto the ground again, and the guards went back to what they were doing. One guard, however, turned to them, smiling widely as he put his hands up to his mouth.

“Captain, I know this is an observation and all, but I think that Prince Sidon should show off for Link!”

Sidon felt his gills seal as he sharply inhaled, and he snapped his head towards the voice— Tottika. The rest of the royal guard turned to look at them again, all smiling; a few of them even began to cheer. He turned teal, and only blushed more when Link spun on his heels to face him, one eyebrow raised.

Sidon cleared his throat, diverting his gaze. “Th-thank you, Tottika, but that will not be necessary.”

The crowd _boo!ed_ and Bazz frowned, slamming his spear onto the platform once again. _“_ **_Guards!_ ** _”_

Unfortunately, all the guards had decided that they were very much into the idea of Sidon performing for Link. Seemingly bolder with their groupthink, they ignored the captain’s warnings.

“Show your boyfriend what you got, Prince Sidon!”

“Yeah, Prince Sidon! Give him a show!”

The Prince stammered, feeling hot as he turned to Bazz, desperation written all over his face. The captain sighed, lifted his hand to his mouth, pressing his thumb and forefinger together, about to whistle when—

“Oh, yes. I would _love_ that.”

Sidon stilled and slowly turned to face the Hylian, who had jumped onto a post nearby to sit, making him near eye level to him. Link smiled smugly at him. The Prince gave him what he hoped was a subtle pout, but the Hylian’s smile only got wider.

Oh, no. He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Link— he didn’t _mind_ showing off, he kind of liked it, actually, but he knew the guards were going to make him show off his archery skills. While he wasn’t _awful_ at it, he wasn’t the _best._ Not only had it taken him a while to get used to using a bow, but he also hadn’t practiced in a hot minute. Goddess knows how rusty he’s gotten.

Despite himself, he sighed heavily, swallowing thickly before nodding defeatedly at Bazz. The captain gives him a look, almost incredulous, before he lowered his hand, slightly, instead waving towards the guards. The Zora cheered loudly, and Gaddison immediately ran over, bow and quiver full of arrows in her hands.

“Don’t worry, Prince Sidon!” She exclaimed, grinning widely as she handed him the equipment. “The worst thing that can happen is you fuck it up!” She ran off.

Sidon wasn’t going to lie— he was starting to regret bringing Link to the training grounds. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Link here with him; of course he did. But he _really_ didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of him.

That would be _so lame._

Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his grip on the bow and quiver, freezing when Link gently tapped his arm. He turned to look at him, and the Hylian had crossed his legs and was smiling warmly, _encouragingly,_ at him— almost as if he knew exactly how nervous he was.

“Good luck out there…” His smile grew as he winked at him. _“Prince Charming.”_

Suddenly, Sidon forgot how to breathe, and he felt insanely dizzy as he walked over to the starting point. Goddess how was he supposed to focus on this _now?!_ Butterflies fluttered around in the pit of his stomach as _Prince Charming_ echoed in his head, and he counted his breaths, rolling his shoulders, neck, and wrists as he tried to get a grip.

The targets were about seventy meters away, and there were ten of them in the line. He bit his cheek as he swung the bow in his hand before taking an arrow out of the quiver. He drew the string back to his face, positioning his drawing hand under his chin. He forced the deafening encouragement behind him to fade into white noise as he focused all his attention on the targets, and with a final, deep breath, he began walking the line.

Draw, release. Draw, release.

Draw, release.

Before he knew it, there were no more targets to hit and he exhaled sharply, his gills flaring wildly at the relief coursing through his body as he lowered the bow. All the excitement behind him erupted back into his conscience at once, and he let himself smile at the way the guards ran into his vision, slapping his back and cheering around him.

_“_ **_Yeah, Prince Sidon!_ ** _”_

_“Now_ **_that’s_ ** _a show!!”_

He took in the sight in front of him; he had done pretty good— a few of his arrows had hit the bullseye perfectly, and the others were close. Very close.

Even though all the guards were giving him an ovation around him, it wasn’t their approval he was looking for. Shyly, he turned to look over at Link, and he felt like air at the way the Hylian was smiling at him. He looked impressed.

Fucking _score!_ He erupted into a celly in his mind, hoping he didn’t look as ecstatic as he felt.

For dignity’s sake.

One guard stepped out of the circle around the Prince and cockily grinned up at the Hylian, putting his hands up to his mouth.

“Think you can do any better, Link?” He shouted.

The Hylian raised an eyebrow at the crowd, who had all turned around to playfully taunt him, egging him on to step up as well. He looked at Sidon, who simply smiled back at him, cocking his head as if saying _come on._ Link shrugged and gracefully hopped off the post, landing on his feet. The guards cheered as the Hylian walked over to them, and Sidon could tell they were more than a little elated at the fact that this entire demonstration meant less time for the observation.

Sidon handed off the bow and quiver to the Hylian, who accepted it nonchalantly, expertly swinging the bow as he walked over to stand at the stopping point. A few guards piped up warnings that he was starting at the wrong end, but just as casually as he seemed to do many things in life, the Hylian completely ignored them.

Link grabbed an arrow from the quiver and drew the string with a confidence that Sidon could only ever dream of having one day. The Hylian squinted as he aimed towards the last target, but at the last second, quickly switched his aim towards the very first one.

A few Zora gasped as Link started walking backward, hitting the targets in the same order Sidon had. Jaws went slack, and as he progressed, the crowd got quieter and quieter, taunts thrown into the abyss.

He hit every single target _perfectly._ On the ones Sidon had managed to get a bullseye on, Link split his arrow completely in half. The Prince huffed out a laugh, stunned at how mesmerizing the Hylian’s movements were. It was almost as if he were dancing, considering how smooth, how _fearless_ his impetus was.

Honestly, he had half a mind to turn to the guards and ask, _who’s the one giving who a show here?_ but at that point, Link had stopped at the starting point, arrow perfectly in the middle of the last target.

The Hylian lowered his bow and spun on his heel to face all the Zora behind him, a cocky smirk plastered all over his face. He hummed as he bowed _much_ too theatrically, and the guards went _insane._

The Royal Guard, the manifestation of discipline and comme il faut to the Domain, ran over to the Hylian and picked him up, practically screaming as they supported him above their heads. Sidon simpered at the sight of the Hylian laughing heartily at the affection, and barely even processed the low whistle that sounded beside him.

He looked down to where Bazz was standing by, pursing his lips.

“Listen, Sidon. My dude. First of all, I am _one hundred percent_ aware he’s yours, so please don’t take offense. Second of all, I’m straight, so like, no homo, you know. But uh… that was hot.”

Sidon could only chuckle breathily, desperately biting back the _it was so hot_ that was trying to roll off his tongue.

“Yes, it was.” He muttered lowly, practically a whisper.

Bazz stilled beside him and then took a sharp step into his periphery, looking at him quizzically with an amused smirk on his face. Almost as if—

Oh _shit._ Did he just agree with him? He hadn’t meant to agree with him— maybe just let out a _haha?_ Oh, goddess. Knowing Bazz, he was most _definitely_ turning gears in his head right now. The Prince’s face went dark teal as he started to stammer, about to babble out some sort of excuse when the crowd started making their way towards them.

_“_ **_Catch!_ ** _”_ was all the warning he was given before they threw Link in the air, laughing. Sidon’s eyes widened as he watched gravity take over and he reflexively threw his hands out, catching the Hylian with one arm under his legs and the other supporting his back.

Link was pink as he looked at him, Sidon assumed from laughing so much.

“Wow. _My hero,”_ He drawled playfully, and the Prince chuckled with him, smiling at him brightly.

His mind was blanking from holding the Hylian like this, especially in front of everyone, but luckily, he was able to get out, “Very impressive form, Link.”

The Hylian laughed softly. “Mm, thank you, sweetheart.”

Sidon stilled at the sudden pet name and his heart leaped out of his chest; he was absolutely sure he was going to have a hard time thinking about anything _but_ the way Link had said that for the rest of the day.

He felt _overwhelmingly_ giddy.

“Your form is impressive, too.”

The Prince laughed breathily, blushing a little at the praise. “No need to be humble, Link. Your archery skills are much better than mine.”

Link’s eyelashes fluttered as he looked up at him from under them, a sly smirk taking over his face. He lightly ran a hand down Sidon’s chest, the gesture making the Prince’s breath hitch.

“I wasn’t talking about archery.”

Had Sidon had any less poise, he was certain that his jaw would have _dropped._

He felt time grind to a halt as he completely froze, and he wasn’t sure his heart was even beating anymore. The only thing he could do was stare at the Hylian in his arms, absolutely dumbfounded, the screams of the guards in front of them barely even making a dent in the blanket of haze that had fallen over his conscience.

He did, however, manage to make out a faint chorus of _oooooh!,_ and _holy shit!,_ and _oh my goddess are we allowed to be_ **_seeing_ ** _this?!_

It was only a few seconds before the expression on Link’s face merged into one of amusement, but to Sidon, it felt like forever. The Hylian scrunched his face up at him, playfully, before leaping out of his arms, landing smoothly on his feet, as if he hadn’t just left the Prince speechless.

“Thank you for all the entertainment, but I’m afraid it’s my turn to cook dinner tonight.” He announced, waving coyly at everyone before walking off, ignoring the guard’s collective, disappointed _aww._

The Hylian walked off towards the doors leading back to the Domain, and Sidon didn’t really start to clear the haze out of his mind until a hand slapped his back, and he realized he still had his arms in the same position he had caught Link in. He dropped them by his side, mouth slowly regaining its moisture. He recognized the sound of Bazz cackling beside him.

“You’re staring, Prince Sidon.” He pointed out, distantly.

A laugh blurted out in front of him, which he barely processed as belonging to Torfeau.

“They’re together, captain, you _square._ He’s _meant_ to be staring!”

The Prince let out a laugh, voice coming out sharp and reedy. He swallowed thickly, eyes slowly prying themselves away from the door Link had disappeared behind.

Right. 

He was meant to be staring.

* * *

The training session had ended a lot earlier than Sidon thought it would. The guards were ambulating around, picking up abandoned equipment, and putting them back into their place. The Prince was leaning against the wall with Bazz, mindlessly conversing, when an ectomorph teal Zora gingerly walked up to them. Sidon doesn’t recall ever seeing him before, so he assumed he was a newbie.

“Hey, Trent.” Bazz greeted, leaning his weight on his spear. “Need something?”

“I…” Trent looked up at Sidon, wringing his hands in front of him before sighing heavily. “I wanted to apologize, Prince Sidon.”

Sidon frowned, cocking his head to the side slightly. “Apologize?”

The Zora nodded. “I… I was one of the people yesterday who didn’t agree with you being with Link. I was just worried, like a lot of people were— you know the legend. Link defeated Ganon, and he was supposed to die right after, and he didn’t. So technically, he could die at any second, right?”

Bazz stiffened beside him, tightening his grip on his spear. “Your point?”

Trent flinched. “R-right. Er— I just… didn’t want you to get hurt if he did. King Dorephan made his speech yesterday, and Mipha talked to my group, and I was a little more convinced, but… my mind wasn’t really changed until earlier.”

Sidon pursed his lips as if to question where he was going with this spiel.

“I can see it. You two, I mean. I see… I can see how much you care for each other. It’s real, I can tell. I don’t know why I thought it wouldn’t be, actually. So… I wanted to apologize. For not taking the time to see how much you love him— how much you love each other.”

Sidon smiled as gently as he could but was panicking a bit, on the inside. So his true feelings really _were_ showing, huh? That was a problem. That was a major problem.

But… _How much you love_ **_each other?_ **

“That is very noble of you, Trent, to admit to being wrong. Thank you. I accept your apology.”

The guard grinned widely. “Thank you.” He bowed deeply. “I’ll do my part in defending you two.”

Bazz huffed out a chuckle and slapped the guard on his back, making him jump a bit. “Alright, Trent. I’m proud of you.” The Zora beamed. “Scram. You got equipment to pick up.”

The two watched as the guard ran back to pick up weapons, and after he was far enough that he couldn’t hear them, Bazz nudged him, a cocky smile slapped across his face.

“Hm… _“I can see how much you love him?””_ Bazz stroked his chin, squinting off into the distance. “I’m not going to lie, Prince Sidon, I’ve been a little suspicious these past few days—”

Sidon laughed, trill and awkward, leery of where this was going, though subconsciously he knew _exactly_ where this was going _._ He averted his eyes when the captain tried to make eye contact with him.

“Wh-what is that supposed to mean? I-I do not know what you are talking about—”

He shrugged. “I’m just saying… you’re kind of a lot more happy-go-lucky about this whole thing than I thought you would be.”

The Prince’s face felt hot. _Very_ hot. “Wh— I—”

“You know, it’s almost as if…” Bazz drawled and gestured with his hands, spear still in one of them. “You _wanted_ this. You know what I’m saying?”

“N-no, no, I— I do not—”

“You don’t, huh?” Bazz deadpanned and shot him a look that made Sidon very uncomfortable and _very wary_ of the fact that _maybe_ he needed to dial everything back a little. “Well, then who am I to put words in your mouth?”

Sidon exhaled sharply, suddenly feeling very nauseous, watching as Bazz hummed and started walking away before the captain stopped mid-step, looking over his shoulder at him.

“Of course, can I really be putting words in your mouth if you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve?”

Sidon tried to babble something out, probably something along the lines of _no, you’re reading this all wrong, you don’t know what you’re talking about,_ but by that point, Bazz was walking away again.

“Think about it, Prince Sidon!”

He didn’t. He refused to think about it.

Instead, he bit his tongue, and slipped out of the training grounds, closing the door behind him. He took deep breaths as he took the stairs up to the palace, having to focus very hard on the steps in front of him.

He wasn’t wearing his heart on his sleeve, right?

Sidon thought back to the past few days.

Oh, goddess.

_He was totally wearing his heart on his sleeve._

He stopped abruptly and slammed his palms against his face, hissing very un-princely like words under his breath. Had Link noticed? Link hadn’t noticed, right?

_Shit!_ He couldn’t tell if Link had noticed because apparently goddess Hylia had decided to give him the best acting skills out of _everyone in Hyrule!_ How was he expected to _not_ let his expression drop into something more than admiration when Link was able to just… look so convincing when he said and did things that made his heart feel like it was about to explode!

Sidon groaned to himself, and pitifully let his back lean against the wall behind him.

His father was right. He _is_ pathetic.

He grumbled to himself as he made his way back up the stairs, Bazz’s words ricocheting around in his head. Maybe, if he ignored it enough, it wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

Yes. Yes, that was exactly what he was going to do.

And no one was going to tell him otherwise.

With a new, pseudo gusto, he sauntered into the kitchens, expecting to see the Hylian on the step stool he uses to be able to use the stove. Instead, he came to a stop, frowning more as he took in the scene in front of him.

The royal kitchen staff was hard at work, and the Hylian was nowhere in sight. He felt a faint sense of dread in his subconscious, but he forced his way over to the chef, greeting the other staff on the way.

“Ravacan?” Sidon said, stopping a respectable distance behind him.

The chef jumped a bit and glanced over at him, smiling. “Prince Sidon! Good evening, Your Highness. There will be a delay today; dinner will be ready in about an hour. My deepest apologies, sir, but please, feel free to grab something as a snack while you wait.”

The Prince couldn’t help the frown that took over his face. “Ravacan, I am sorry, but do you know where Link is? It was his turn to—”

The chef stilled, and he looked back at him, expression filled with so much sympathy Sidon immediately became alarmed.

“… Ravacan?”

“Link…” He averted his gaze for a second before making eye contact with him again. “Master Link had requested that we take over for dinner tonight. There was… an incident.”

“What?” Sidon breathed. “Wh-what happened?”

“… Your Highness, Link begged me not to tell you—”

“I will tell him I forced you to tell me. Please, Ravacan. What happened?” Sidon’s poise faltered, and he spoke softly. “Where is he?”

The chef sighed softly as he turned his attention back to the pot in front of him, absentmindedly stirring the concoction. “From what I understood, there were three Zora from the east village here, in the Domain. He was on his way here, and as he passed by, they… harassed him, sir. About the legend, I believe.”

“Where is he?” Sidon could feel the desperation boil in his throat. “Where is he— was he upset?”

“… He looked as if he had been crying, yes. Um… Princess Zelda was in here, and I only overheard their conversation, so some of the information might not be accurate—”

“Ravacan,” Sidon demanded, trying to ease back in the anxiety in his voice.

“… I believe they went to the library.”

Sidon thanked him breathily before darting out the doors, hastily dodging kitchen staff in his path. His feet led him to the library; he was too focused on Link, on what they could have said to him, wondering how he was, and most of all, regretting the fact that he didn’t leave with him.

When he finally stopped in front of the ornate doors, he could hear the muffled voices of the two Hylians, and with as much composure as he could gather, he turned the handles as quietly as he could.

Following their voice, he made his way down one of the aisles; the two were at one of the big tables, standing, staring at one of the many books spread out on it. As if he could sense his presence, suddenly Link looked up and his eyes widened as he stumbled back.

“Sidon!” He exclaimed, voice cracking. “Wh—”

The Prince stood there, unable to think of anything to say, unable to even greet the two Hylians that were staring at him. His legs just started walking in his direction, a twinge in his heart as Link’s shoulders gradually slumped, as his ears drooped, and as his expression fell. Sidon kneeled once he was closer to him, and he didn’t even have to say anything; Link walked towards him, into his arms. As soon as he wrapped them around him, Sidon let out a breath he hadn’t even been aware he had been holding. He squeezed his eyes as tight as he could, taking laboring breaths as he felt hot tears fall onto his chest. 

He hadn’t realized how much he also needed this until now. 

After a few minutes, the Prince slowly looked over at the Princess. She looked doleful. He looked back down at the Hylian in his arms. 

“…Link?” Sidon’s voice was so low it was almost a whisper. “What happened?”

“I didn’t want you to worry…” He said, muffled. “I—”

“Of course I am going to worry. I care about you, Link.”

The Hylian didn’t respond; a few beats of silence passed before the sound of a chair creaking cut through the quiet. Sidon looked over, making eye contact with the Princess, who had sat down. She sighed softly.

“A few guys cornered him and started harassing him about you two “dating.” They said something along the lines of Link needing to leave you because he’s going to die soon.” She gestured towards the books on the table. “Thus…”

“…Thus what?” Sidon asked.

Link abruptly pulled himself out of his arms and smiled weakly at him, eyes red and puffy. He mouthed _come here_ and extended his hand to him. Sidon took it, pushing down all the questions bubbling in his head, and let him lead him over to the table.

There were a lot of books, but it seemed as if they were only focused on one since it was closer to them than the rest. A painting of goddess Hylia appearing before someone adorned one of the pages, and the next was full of text. He frowned slightly.

“…What is this?”

“The _true_ statue of Hylia,” Zelda explained and pointed to the painting. “It’s a myth, supposedly. They say that if you go through the trials she sets, and you live, she can grant you whatever you wish for; it’s not guaranteed that she _will_ grant it, though. The most important part, really, is figuring out where the statue even _is.”_

Sidon didn’t like the implications of her words. He swallowed thickly, feeling uneasy.

“Why… why were you doing research on this?”

Link looked over at Zelda and interlocked his fingers before sighing and lifting his hands. ‘Because I begged her to help me research it. I was thinking about… the legend—”

“The legend? Are you— Link, are you going to look for the statue because of _the legend?”_

‘Sidon, I have to try _something—’_

_“Link—”_

“Don’t worry yet, Sidon.” Zelda butted in, quickly. “No one knows if it's real or not— these are all tales from people a long time ago. There was only one book in your library that mentioned this—”

She motioned down at the book in front of her. “Everything here is basically what we already know. There’s no mention of what the trials are like, no mention of what types of wishes she allows, but there is a poem. I’m… not quite sure what the significance is, but I assume there is one.”

> _spread your wings_
> 
> _fly over grand walls_
> 
> _cross the paths of time_
> 
> _there I await_
> 
> _praying, at your open_
> 
> _and your life_
> 
> _praying, at your demise_
> 
> _-_
> 
> _make the wish_
> 
> _and gamble the price_
> 
> _your entire life_
> 
> _stripped, free of sins_
> 
> _your voice begs for the world_
> 
> _I grant it_
> 
> _when the world begs for you_

“… That is wildly vague,” Sidon muttered, frowning. 

Zelda hummed in agreement. “I’ve been trying to decipher it.” She looked at the rest of the books on the table. “To no avail, however. There must be a clue in the poem somewhere, though. So, I will continue my research in my library when I go back in a few days. There’s bound to be _something.”_

Link’s eyes lit up. ‘Thank you, Zelda. Thank you. _Thank you.’_

The Princess nodded, smiling warmly at him. “Of course, Link. Even though I think you’re stupid for this, I can at least make sure you’re doing it right.”

The Hylians laughed softly, but Sidon couldn’t help the queasiness in the pit of his stomach. This didn’t sit right with him.

He bit his lip as he turned to him. “Link… are you sure about this? It seems so… uncertain—”

‘I have to try.’ Link furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at his feet. ‘I have to.’

“You do not have to—”

_‘I want to.’_

“... Link, you do not have to go through all this trouble just because of… just because of _this.”_ Sidon gestured vaguely around him. Link frowned at him. 

‘I’m not just doing this because of _this.’_ He repeated his gesture. ‘I’m doing this for _me,_ too.’

“... Link, of course you know I will support you throughout this. I… I just wanted to make sure you were not just doing it because of me.”

The Hylian averted his gaze. ‘Well, I’m not. I just don’t want people harassing me about this anymore.’

Sidon nodded, a little more relieved with his answer. That was good. He didn’t know how he’d feel if Link _was_ doing this all because of him.

He supposed he was wrong for thinking that in the first place, anyway. Link is many things, but blind sighted is definitely not one of them. He must’ve been thinking about this plan for a long time by now; he was sure of it.

The Prince leaned against one of the bookcases behind him, mind drifting to his walk back to the palace, when suddenly, he jumped back up onto his feet. 

“Link, those three men that harassed you, were they all a dark green?”

The Hylian frowned a bit. ‘…I think so…? Why?’

He nodded rapidly. “I will be right back.”

Without waiting for a reply, Sidon stormed out of the library, walking towards one of the exits leading out into the Domain. He had seen a group of three men on his way over, loitering around on one of the bridges. If he was right, they were the same ones Link was talking about. His frown grew the closer he got to where he saw them last, and he puffed out his chest as soon as they came into sight.

There was a voice in the back of his head, saying that he needs to keep his cool, those are _civilians_ and Princes can’t just go around yelling at their people, but unfortunately, his vision was starting to turn red.

They hurt Link.

“Excuse me, gentlemen.” He scowled, stopping directly in front of them.

The three Zora turned around, annoyingly nonchalant.

“Prince Sidon! Good evening.” One said, bowing upon seeing him.

“No.” He growled, and he tried not to be so satisfied at the way the three of them jumped.

“Er… no?” One of them asked, eyes shifting between him and the other two. “Wh—”

He knew he should dial back; he didn’t want to think about what the council would say about his actions right now, but these men were, frankly, _pissing_ him off. 

Sidon growled louder at them. “Apologies for being the bearer of bad news, but I have recently been made aware that the three of you disrespected my partner.” 

One of them stepped back, eyes widening. “What? No! That is not what happened at all—”

“By disrespecting Link, you disrespect me as well—”

“My Prince! I would _never!”_ Another stammered, stepping forward.

“—And while I know that Link can fend for himself, I know for a fact that he would spare you.” Sidon crouched, grinning at them. They all took a step back from him. “We are not friends; you do not get any say in my personal relationships. I love Link— there is a reason he is the only person I have ever courted, believe it or not. If you do not like that, well, you can certainly find somewhere else in Hyrule that will welcome you into its home.”

“Are— Are you threatening us, Your Highness?”

“No, _no.”_ He smiled. “Merely giving you notice on the possible consequences of your actions.”

Suddenly, a familiar, blond-haired Hylian stepped in between the four of them. He jumped— he hadn’t even _heard_ Link approach. Had he been following him this entire time?

“H-he didn’t mean that—” He laughed, nervously, pushing at Sidon’s chest. “We’ll just be on our merry way now—”

Sidon frowned. “I _did_ mean that.”

“No, he _didn’t,_ because he is a _Prince,_ and a _Prince_ is not supposed to speak like that!” Link said, disapproval written all over his face as he looked up at him. He didn’t budge.

“Right.” One of the three Zora, said, suddenly, putting his hands up in surrender. “We’re on our way. We promise— our deepest apologies Link, we were fools earlier— I have no idea what the hell we were talking about!” He laughed, nervously.

“Y-yeah! Sorry, there was some confusion. We didn’t—” One of them stammered, bowing violently as if his life depended on it. Which, to Sidon, it might as well have. _“May the sun, the moon, and all the stars above smile upon you.”_

The other two swiftly copied him, and once they were all back on their feet, they stammered out what was supposed to be a _bye!_ before running off.

The Prince chuckled, cutting himself short when Link took a step back to properly look at him, eyebrows furrowed.

_“Sidon.”_ He hissed, sighing. He crossed his arms. “That— Sidon, you can’t _do that—”_

“…Why not?”

“Sidon, you can’t just—” The Hylian scoffed, gesturing wildly. “You can’t just _threaten_ people because— because they were _mean_ to me—”

“Why not?” He repeated, genuinely confused.

Link stared at him, incredulously. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sidon… you have an image you need to uphold, you’re a _Prince,_ and you can’t just throw all that away because people are being— being _assholes_ about—”

“Link,” Sidon started, reaching out and tentatively putting his hands on Link’s arms. He let himself grab them a little more when he didn’t move away. “I had to do something; I cannot let them just say those things about you—”

The Hylian stared at him as he spoke, biting his lip before looking away. “Sidon… Sidon maybe we… maybe we should stop this.” He looked back at him. _“Now.”_

Those words stung a lot more than Sidon ever wanted to admit.

“Wh-what? What do you—?”

“This is…” Link sniffed, and he looked so frustrated Sidon was genuinely regretting coming out here at all. “This is getting so complicated, Sidon, and I know we said it was okay yesterday, but I don’t want you to have to go through all this trouble, all this _scrutiny—”_

“Trouble?”

“—because of _me—”_

Sidon shook his head, rapidly. “Link, I… I want to do this. And I want to protect you, and I am not going to give up on everything just because things got a little more complicated.”

“…Then promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“No one else gets in trouble like that again.”

Sidon frowned. “Link, I—”

“They just want to _protect_ you— they care about you, Sidon. I get it. I don’t like the way they’re doing anything, but I can understand where they are coming from. Sidon, please.”

“Link, they are saying awful—”

“Promise me.” He repeated.

“—things about you, and I cannot just stand by and—”

_“Sidon.”_ Link stressed. His eyes were pooling tears, and as soon as the Prince realized it, he exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.

“…I promise, Link.”

Link sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

They stayed quiet for a bit before Link let out a sharp exhale.

“Sidon?”

“Yes?”

When Link didn’t respond, the Prince looked back to his face. He gave him a gentle squeeze, hoping that it was at least a little comforting.

“…Sidon.” Link eventually said, staring into his eyes, voice dropping to a whisper. “This— this isn’t going to be easy—”

“I don’t need easy.” He cut in.

Link blinked at him, eyebrows raised, and after a few moments he scoffed out a breathy laugh. He shook his head and looked away from him, smiling softly. Sidon copied his expression unconsciously.

“You know, Sidon, you’re really good at making me think that you actually—”

He froze, and the Prince watched intently as his face turned pink.

“Making you think that I actually what?”

“…Nothing.” Link waved his hand dismissively. “I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

Sidon stared at him, and eventually, Link turned back to face him, eyes meeting his own. He smiled ever so gently at him, and the Prince smiled back.

The Domain was quiet— there wasn’t anyone around. Everyone must have gone home early. It hadn’t really crossed his mind before, exactly. He was just so focused on the Hylian in front of him.

It was so dark out.

And maybe that’s why his eyes betray him; maybe that’s why they flickered down to those lips. For the millionth time since he’d met him, Sidon wonders how someone’s mouth could look so plush, so _soft._ His hands, still on the Hylian’s arms, didn’t even feel like they were there anymore.

Because suddenly, those lips parted ever so slightly, and his eyes flickered back up to Link’s, and Link was still staring at him, a soft shade of pink brushed across his cheeks. Sidon couldn’t help but stare back, and without realizing it he starts leaning in, and his brain is _screaming_ at him, his conscience is flashing red lights at him, but he can’t _stop,_ and Link isn’t _moving._ He’s just watching him, and his eyelashes start to flutter, and Sidon’s heart is _racing_ in his chest and—

Link takes a sharp step back, face turning bright red and eyes widening rapidly. He lets out a laugh, sharp and trill, and his eyes are darting, looking at everything and anything but him.

“U-um… Uh—” He stutters, wringing his hands, biting that lip that was so tempting just a few seconds ago. “W-we— we should—” He looks at him, and Sidon can’t really read his expression.

If he looks hard enough, he thinks it looks apologetic.

And he tries to ignore it, but he also thinks it looks a little… terrified.

“… I’ll see you at dinner!” Link finally chokes out, and hastily moves past him, practically sprinting back into the palace.

But Sidon stays there, crouching on the bridge, eyes dead set where the Hylian had just been standing.

He can’t believe he just did that. Right after what he just did, he did _that_ too?

Why did he do that?

_Why did he do that?!_

Suddenly, Link’s voice from yesterday echoes in his head, and it’s all he needs to feel heavy dread seep into every inch of his body:

_Kind of funny, isn’t it? The courageous Hero of Hyrule. I’ve done so much, and yet… and yet, I can’t even let anyone get close enough to fucking kiss me._

Sidon buried his face in his hands and groaned out loud. He squeezed his eyes as tight as he could, and vengefully slapped his face. Repeatedly. Mostly because he knows that Link is too nice to slap him himself.

“What the hell is **_wrong_ ** _with me?”_ He hissed under his breath, face extremely hot.

Oh, goddess. Link probably hates him now, doesn’t he? He tried to kiss him even after all that he told him in the boat yesterday and— _oh,_ _goddess._

Apparently, self-control had decided to just leave him for this entire evening, didn’t it!

He pressed his palms against his eyes until blinding sparks entered his vision; his head was pounding, and his entire body felt weak.

He let out a soft growl directed at no one but himself.

It was a long time before he got the strength to go back inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sidon, at his brain: uh, i hear you screaming. and i also don't want me to be doing what i'm doing. i don't like that i'm in this situation either. and i sure would like to get out of it. 
> 
> i had a lot of trouble with this chapter, but i gave myself a deadline to get over it because i know i took too long with this one jdkshfshks if you ask me, this is where things are going to start picking up because as demonstrated by sidon, these boys are just so dumb 
> 
> thank you again to everyone who leaves comments on these chapters!! you are all so so So sweet!! <3333 you guys keep me going more than you will ever know, i'm so thankful! <3
> 
> if you want, follow me on [tumblr](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/)!


	6. Chapter 6

He’ll admit it; he was mortified. 

Three days have passed since that night on the bridge, and Link knew for a fact that he’s been a little awkward around Sidon since— in his defense, though, he couldn’t _help_ it. He was such an idiot!

The biggest idiot in the world, probably! King Idiot. Lord of the Idiots.

He can’t believe he tried to kiss Sidon.

What the hell was _wrong_ with him?! His brain just _had_ to look at his mouth, it just _had_ to notice how close they were to each other, and it just _had_ to almost make a fool out of him. Goddess, Sidon goes out of his way to defend him, to _risk_ his reputation for him, and he repays him by almost ruining their friendship? He’s been beating himself up over it for the past few days, and really, the only relief from those thoughts nagging at him was when he was asleep.

Which is unfortunate because he just woke up. 

At least it was morning— he could tell because the room was slowly getting brighter with the first rays of the rising sun. Waking up in Sidon’s arms should, theoretically, be something he’s used to, given the fact that they’ve been doing this for a week now. However, just like the first time he woke up cuddling with the Zora, his heart started to palpitate wildly in his chest without his permission. 

The Prince’s arms were so strong, so… _safe._ He was almost ashamed to say it, but Link doesn’t think he’s ever really known what home felt like until now. 

He _knew_ it was wrong for him to be getting so attached to how it feels to be held by the Zora, but he was so far gone he couldn’t stop now even if he wanted to. Really, it was more logical for him to hope that he’d be able to keep his sanity stable enough so that he could get through the rest of the month. 

In the meantime, he supposed it wasn’t a bad thing, per se, to let himself enjoy this. He pressed his temple against Sidon’s chest and smiled at the way the man’s gills would flutter against him as he breathed. The Hylian trailed his hand along the Zora’s arm— smooth, up until he reached the scales starting near his shoulders (running his hand across them is something he’s discovered that he really likes). Link has also discovered that the Prince rumbles a bit when he’s sleeping, which almost reminded him of a cat purring. He giggled breathily at the thought, making a mental note to ask about it when Sidon started grumbling quietly, letting him know he had woken up. 

“Good morning,” He whispered, so fondly he bit his cheek to force himself to dial it back.

The Zora huffed quietly, and he could hear his smile. “Is it morning already? That is not fair.”

Link hummed contentedly as Sidon pulled him in closer, sliding his eyes shut at the feeling of his arms tightening around him. They stayed like that for a few moments before the Prince cleared his throat above him. 

“... Link?” 

“Hm?”

“May I ask a question?”

Link huffed amusedly. “Yeah, of course. You don’t have to ask.”

“Right,” Sidon trailed off, almost as if he were unsure of himself. “... Are you… okay?”

The Hylian furrowed his eyebrows and pulled out of his arms so he could sit up. Looking down at him, at the Zora’s interrogative expression, he suddenly gets the sensation of being backed into a corner.

“Yes…? Why?”

The Prince searched his face as he sat up, too. “Then… did I do something wrong?” 

_“What?_ No? Sidon, why are you ask—”

“Link, I have noticed that you have been a little… shy, lately. I was worried that I did something to cause that.”

The Hylian averted his eyes, feeling a light warmth brush over his cheeks. “I… I’m sorry, Sidon. I didn’t mean to worry y—”

“Is it because of that night on the bridge?”

He blinked at him, the warmth on his face slowly getting hotter. He pointedly looked down at his hands, fumbling with them nervously. 

“... Yes, it is, but I promise it’s nothing to worry about. I’m sorry. It’s just that—”

The Zora shook his head, speaking over him. “Do not say that, Link. Please. I am the one who should apologize—”

In tandem, they both blurt out,

“I shouldn’t have tried to—”

The air became thick as they stared blankly at each other, eyes slowly getting wider. At that moment, Link came to the conclusion that being buried alive actually sounds really appealing, and he would much rather be in that situation instead, please.

He bit his lip and looked away from the Prince, towards the foot of the bed, and begged for the feeling of crashing waves in his stomach to stop. He swallowed thickly.

“... You shouldn’t have tried to do what?” Link finally urged.

“I…” The Prince exhaled slowly. “I shouldn’t have…”

For some reason, goddess Hylia had it out for Link, he was _sure_ of it, because he looked up just as Sidon licked his lips, and his eyes were immediately drawn to his mouth. Hell broke loose in his head as his vision flashed back to that night on the bridge, and the blush that took over his face was absolutely relentless and unforgiving. The Hylian’s breath hitched as he forced himself to tear his eyes away, trying very hard not to think about the fact that he thought he saw the Prince staring at his lips, too.

All these delusions were starting to become a problem.

“Link, I… I...” Sidon stuttered, eyes widening as he suddenly turned dark teal and averted his gaze. **_“I have a meeting!”_ **

The Hylian startled at the sudden outburst, and the Zora only froze for a second, huffing out what he thought was a _sorry,_ before swiftly sliding out of bed and making his way to the bathroom. 

As soon as he heard the door click shut behind him, Link snatched the pillow he had been sleeping on and promptly buried his face in it. 

* * *

Breakfast was quiet— the royals had made up the meeting that had been cut short a few days ago, and by the looks of it, it still went poorly. Link and Zelda ate silently, not wanting to disturb them, but halfway through the Princess cleared her throat. 

“Link, could you escort me out of the Domain? I was hoping to speak with you.”

He looked up from his plate, where he had been mindlessly pushing his eggs around. She wore a sly smile, and he warily met it with a cocked eyebrow.

“Um,” He stuttered, putting his fork down. ‘Yeah, sure. When were you planning to leave?’

“In about an hour.”

He nodded nonchalantly. ‘Alright— I’ll see you at the stables, then.’

The Hylian went back to his eggs, startling a bit when suddenly Sidon lay his hand on his under the table. The Zora looked concerned, and he met his gaze with as soft of a smile as he could muster. 

“Will you be okay by yourself?” The Prince whispered. “If you do not want me to go, I could send Bazz with you…?”

Link shook his head, muttering back, “I’ll be fine, sweetheart. I promise.”

Sidon hummed contentedly and squeezed his hand lightly before letting go, letting his hand drag off his. “Okay, my dear. Stay safe for me.”

Link blushed to himself, pointedly not looking up to meet Zelda’s amused grin (or King Dorephan and Mipha’s, for that matter). Using pet names was still extremely new to them, and he _really_ did not need the Princess’s wordless chirps about how weak he knew they visibly made him. As soon as breakfast was over, he made his way back to Sidon’s room to put on the armor he had brought, just in case. 

It felt a bit strange; he rarely used his armor anymore, and they usually just spent their time in a box at the back of his closet. He fumbled with his buckles as he looked in the mirror, and as he looked over his reflection, he bitterly recalled the legend that directed his life. 

It was funny, really. Zelda had told him that “Link” one hundred years ago had long come to terms with the fact that he was going to die after defeating Ganon. He briefly wondered how broken he must’ve been, since he had no problem with it— or maybe, the question he _should_ be posing is how broken is he now, given that he is so adamant about his hatred for the prophecy?

He sighed to himself, furrowing his eyebrows and pointedly looking away from his reflection. After double-checking that his sword was securely attached, he made his way to the stables; as soon as he caught sight of Zelda standing next to Storm, he waved to her. 

“Thanks for coming, Link,” She greeted, beaming as he walked over. “Sidon wasn’t too upset that I’m taking you from him for a few hours, was he?”

Link smiled and rolled his eyes so hard it hurt, spending a few seconds to pet her horse before responding. 

‘I don’t _belong_ to him, Zelda. Of course he was fine with it— he had another meeting anyway, so it’s not like we had anything planned.’ He looked around and frowned slightly, straining his neck as he did. ‘Where are your guards?’

“I asked them to go ahead. Begged them to, actually. They should be at the stable nearby by now.”

He cocked an eyebrow. ‘... Why?’

“Oh, I just didn’t want anyone else listening to our conversation.”

Zelda smiled mischievously at him, and he stilled, eyeing her curiously for a few seconds before walking into the stable. Epona snorted happily as soon as she saw him, and he took his time cooing and scratching behind her ears as she nudged him with her snout.

“Yeah, I missed you too,” He crooned, smiling ear to ear. “You’re such a _lady,_ aren’t you? Who’s a lady girl? _My sweet little pretty lady baby girl—”_

A knock sounded behind him, along with a series of poorly muffled snorts. He looked over his shoulder at Zelda, who was currently covering her mouth with her hand. 

“Are you going to stop being a weirdo and come out, or what?”

He stuck his tongue out at her and kept humming to Epona as he put on her equipment, and once he was sure she was ready, he led her out of the stable. The two Hylians went on their way, riding side by side in a comfortable silence, as was their custom whenever they traveled together. Link let his thoughts drift, watching how their surroundings slowly changed around them and feeling how the air gradually became warmer the further they went. After a while, Zelda finally stopped at the foot of one of the hills fairly near the stable and hopped off Storm to walk up it. Link warily followed close behind. Suddenly, the Princess looked at him over her shoulder. 

“Link?”

“Hm?”

They were at the top now, but Zelda was still walking. He jogged slightly to trail closer behind her.

“Do you like Prince Sidon?”

He let out a shrill, mortified squeak as he tripped over his feet, tumbling to the ground with an undignified _oof!_

“Wh-wh— d-do I—” He stammered, eyes going comically wide. “Do I **_what?!”_ **

Zelda spun on her heel at the sound of him falling, face full of worry, but as soon as she saw how discombobulated he was she barked out a boisterous laugh. She wheezed, hunching over, and putting her hands on her knees to keep herself upright. Link’s face felt _hot,_ and even the tips of his ears felt uncomfortably warm. He hissed, aggressively pulled out a tuft of grass, and threw it at her. It pathetically landed a foot away from him. 

After what seemed like years, Zelda finally straightened slightly, wiping away tears. “Do you like Prince Sidon?” She repeated, mercilessly.

“Pssh! _Pssh!_ Wh-what? What?! No?! **_No!_ ** Of course not? Wh—” He stood up, dusting off his pants before pointing at her, bitterly. “You— Wh—! I have no idea where you got _that_ from— I—”

He sharply turned his back to her, almost immediately spinning around to face her again, jabbing his finger in her direction repeatedly. “I have _no_ idea what you’re talking about!” 

He stormed away from her, only getting more and more flustered as she cackled wildly behind him. Maybe if he avoids the question enough, he thought, she’ll drop it.

“I don’t know, Link, you are kind of really worked up right now!” She sang.

_“I’m_ _not worked up!”_ He snapped, groaning exasperatedly as he paced the hill back and forth in front of her. “I don’t know where you would get that from, I’m _obviously_ not!”

“You like him, don’t you?” 

“No!” He pointed at her again. “No! I don’t! Wh— we’re just _friends!_ Zelda did you really bring me all the way out here to— to _harass_ me?!”

“Link, it’s okay if you like him—”

“But I **_don’t_** like him!” He said, like a liar.

“Uh-huh. Okay, well, let’s say in this hypothetical scenario, that you _don’t_ like him—”

**_“It’s not hypothetical!”_ ** He squealed, gesturing wildly. “ _Me_ like _Prince Sidon?_ Prince of the Zora Domain, Sidon? That Sidon?! No. Never. Not plausible. Inconceivable, even!” 

Zelda pursed her lips at him before smirking. _“If-you-like-Prince-Sidon-say-what!”_ She shouted, rapidly.

“What?” Link said, face immediately dropping once he processed what she said. “W-wait, no—”

“Aha!”

“That doesn’t count! That’s _childish,_ Zelda!” He stomped his foot angrily. 

She snickered. “Link, did you really think I wouldn’t notice how _easily_ you fell into the role of being Sidon’s boyfriend?”

He babbled wildly, not knowing what he was even trying to say. Probably an excuse.

“Do you think I haven’t noticed the way you _look_ at him? Link, the aching tenderness that you gaze at him with could never come from someone who was pretending to love. You can’t fake that— _especially_ you. You’re the worst actor I know. No offense.”

He puffed out his cheeks and sighed heavily. Dejectedly sitting where he stood, he brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.

“... I don’t _gaze_ at Sidon.” He muttered, bitterly.

She laughed quietly as she sat next to him, cross-legged. He hid his face in his hands, scratching his skin lightly with his fingernails. Finally, after a few minutes, he peeked at her through his fingers.

“Is it… is it really that obvious?” 

“Oh, Link. I realized it after only a minute of watching the two of you interact. Although I will admit, I got suspicious the second you saw him.”

He groaned loudly, falling onto his back. He stared up at the sky, hoping that one of the clouds would turn into a sheep or something and whisk him away. That would be nice. Then he’d be a sheep farmer. And who _doesn’t_ want to be a sheep farmer?

“It’s not a bad thing, Link.” Zelda hummed above him.

“Maybe not, but I _feel_ bad about it.”

“... Why?”

“Because—” He gestured vaguely with both hands. “Because Sidon asked me for a favor, I’m supposed to be helping him. And yet I’m enjoying it a little _too_ much. What if he finds out? What if he thinks that I’m using him?”

“He won’t think that. He’s _Sidon.”_

Link sighed. That was true. Sidon’s too nice to think that. _Ugh,_ why did he have to be so nice, and charming, and handsome, and funny, and _perfect?!_

He expressed this to the Princess, who just laughed breathily beside him, patting his head sympathetically. Link covered his eyes with his arm, deciding that life would be a lot easier at that moment if he couldn’t see anymore.

“So… when did you know you had a crush on him?”

He groaned, squeezing his eyes as tight as he could even though there was no need to. “... After Vah Ruta.”

_“That_ early?” She echoed, sounding genuinely surprised.

“Shut up! I _know!”_ He lamented, pushing her with the arm not currently busy blinding him from this cruel, cruel world. 

Zelda snickered, and he could hear the sound of her catching herself before she fell over. He frowned even though he knew she couldn’t see it.

“Okay, okay. Sorry.” She hummed, as she did whenever she was pondering something. “... Do you think he likes you, too?”

He scoffed deridingly, dropping his arm, and cocking an eyebrow up at her. “What kind of question is that? _Of course_ he doesn’t.”

“What makes you so sure of that?”

“I just… I just know.” Link muttered, looking away from her. “He wouldn’t ever look at me like that.”

He heard her lay down next to him. “... He does now.”

“He’s just a good actor.” Link sighed. “He’s a really, really, _really_ good actor, and sometimes I think that it’s all real, and then I have to force myself to remember that it’s all fake. None of this is real and none of it will _ever_ be real. I could never catch Sidon’s eye. Not like that.”

“Link…” He can hear her frown. “Why do you say that with so much confidence?”

“Because! Because he’s a Prince, and he could easily have _anyone!_ He could saunter into any town, say that he’s looking for a partner, and have a line of people out the door trying to convince him to date them in a matter of seconds. I’m not—” His voice cracked, and he swallowed thickly, ending in a whisper. “... I’m not special enough for him.”

“How could you say that? He thinks of you as his dearest friend—”

“That’s _exactly_ why I say that!” Link sat up, and his eyes were burning and it’s not until he feels his cheeks get wet that he realizes he’s started to cry. “I’m _just_ his “dearest friend.” That’s it. That’s all I’ll ever be to him. And I _know_ I should be grateful that he at least thinks I’m good enough to be that for him! But that’s all I _am_ good enough for and I’ve long accepted that. Just imagine it: Link, Hero of Hyrule, attempts to court Prince Sidon. He wouldn’t even bat an eye, Zelda.”

Link choked out a sob and buried his face in his hands. He felt so incredibly guilty for crying about this. He felt _pathetic._ But Zelda sat up too and wrapped an arm around him, resting her head on his shoulder. It helped calm him down enough so that his breaths weren’t hitching anymore, and they sat quietly until he was ready to speak again.

“... Do you remember Athrian?” He muttered.

She nodded against him. “What about him?”

“You know how I told you I was thinking about going back to find him?”

“Yeah.”

“I never did, because... like a dumbass, I started thinking about Sidon, and I… I…” He sniffed, wetly. “I said what if? _What if?_ Goddess, it’s been more than half a year, and that _what if_ hasn’t ever even been hinted at. I’m so fucking **_pathetic.”_ **

“Link, don’t you dare say that. You know that is not true—”

“Sometimes I think I purposely only look for love where I can’t get it.” 

Zelda furrowed her eyebrows and lifted her head; Link turned to look at her. She sighed.

“Don’t say that, Link. You know you’re being too harsh on yourself. The heart can be so cruel, but that doesn’t mean you have to be, too. You don’t deserve that.”

Link bit his cheek and looked away. A few beats of silence passed before Zelda spoke again.

“Maybe… have you considered that maybe... Sidon is just as scared as you are?”

“I highly doubt it.” He murmured, fumbling with the grass beside him. “That could never happen. There’s no way.”

“Never say never, Link. He could be thinking the same about you.”

He laughed, coldly. “He’s got hundreds of people lined up at his door; I would be the _last_ person he’d look at.”

“Okay,” Zelda said, taking her arm off him and using both hands to gesture. “Think of it this way, then. You say that he has a hundred people lined up at his door, right? And yet, _you’re_ the one he asked to pretend to be his boyfriend. He could’ve easily gotten an _actual_ boyfriend from that line, but he asked _you_ to fill that space.”

Link rolled his eyes. “He did it because he knows me, and I’m his friend, so he knows he can trust me. I know you’re trying to make me feel better, Zelda, but I’ve accepted the fact that he’ll never like me a long, long time ago. Please… please don’t try to get my hopes up. I don’t think I can handle that heartbreak again.”

“I’m not trying to get your hopes up. That’d be awful of me.” The Princess mumbled. “I’m just saying you shouldn’t brush the idea off so easily. You’re not Sidon— you can’t speak for him.”

She smiled at him, gently nudging him with her elbow. “But, really, Link. You’re a great person. An _amazing person,_ actually. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

He bit his cheek and looked off into the distance. 

“... Thank you.” He finally muttered, resting his head on her shoulder. “I’m really grateful for you.”

She beamed. “Of course, Link. I’m grateful for you, too.”

The moment only lasted for a few more minutes before Zelda had to go. Link dropped her off at the stable, and after a long hug, she departed to the castle with her guards, and he made his way back to the Domain.

* * *

The next day in the afternoon, Link stood on his step stool in the kitchen, fumbling with the straps of his apron when Sidon walked in, looking absolutely drained. The second he saw him, though, the Zora smiled, seemingly washing away any fatigue that had been clinging to him.

“Hello, Link.”

He smiled back at him, hands stilling in their motions. “Hey. How was the meeting?”

Sidon sighed, a flicker of his exhaustion reappearing. “It was fine, I suppose. The elders were being insufferable again, but luckily we actually managed to get everything done.”

He hummed in response, eyeing the other man curiously as he sidled up to him, grinning amusedly as he looked down (Link presumed) at his hands. 

“Do you need help with that?”

“Um…” The Hylian blushed lightly and huffed out a laugh, letting go of the straps. “If you insist.”

The Zora chuckled as he grabbed the straps and pulled on them, tightening the fabric around his waist. The Hylian bit his lip as he tied the straps, trying to ground himself; the moment was over quickly though, and the Prince stepped away from him, a jocose expression plastered on his face. 

“You know, you would think being a good cook would come with knowing how to tie a knot on your apron.”

Link rolled his eyes and pushed at his arm lightly. “You’re the one who offered— I’ll have you know that I am _perfectly_ capable of tying a knot on my own.”

Sidon laughed breathily, retiring to one of the tables nearby to get out of his way. The Hylian nimbly strode around, gathering all the ingredients he needed, all the while being overly conscious of the fact that the Prince was watching him like a hawk. As he got back to the counter and dropped everything off, the Zora piped up behind him.

“You know, I do not think I ever learned how to cook— or bake, for that matter.”

He looked at him over his shoulder and cocked an eyebrow, an amused smile quickly growing on his face. “Sidon, _please_ tell me you are kidding.” 

The Prince puffed out his cheeks and leaned back in his chair. Link huffed, shaking his head as he stepped off the step stool. 

“I really shouldn’t even be surprised. Your entire life was handed to you on a silver platter.” 

Sidon pouted. Link giggled and sauntered over to him, gingerly grabbing a hold of his hands. When the Zora looked down at him curiously, he pulled him out of his seat and dragged him over to the countertops. 

“Link? Wh—”

Stepping back up onto his step stool, he smiled, gesturing to the ingredients arrayed in front of them. “You, _Prince Sidon,_ are going to help me make dinner.” 

“... Link, when I said I never learned how to cook, I was being serious—”

He scoffed and started to split all the ingredients between the two of them. “And that’s why you’re going to learn _now._ I can’t have my boyfriend not know how to cook— that’s a crime.”

The knife block he had reached for went forgotten as a vicious warmth took over his face with a worrying ferocity; he stammered, somehow managing to blush harder when the Prince exploded into a guffaw beside him.

“Sorry, what was that? Your _boyfriend?”_ He sang, smirking as he leaned in closer to him.

Oh, the man knew _exactly_ what he was doing. Forcing away as much shame as he could, Link spun to face him, flashing him his own coquettish smile.

Two can play that game.

“My apologies, Your Highness.” Link hummed. “I was under the impression that we’re in a relationship.”

The Prince chuckled as he leaned in closer, and the Hylian had to focus very, very hard on not losing his composure— Sidon had been standing a lot closer than he had thought. His heartbeat tolled in his ears.

“Is that so?”

The Zora put a hand on the counter behind him, locking the Hylian in place. Link eyed his hand for a bit before looking back up at Sidon through his eyelashes, cocking an eyebrow at the flush of teal that brushed his cheeks. 

“If you’re doing this to get out of helping me make dinner, it’s not going to work.”

The Prince froze before huffing out a laugh, ducking his head, and drawing back his hand as he stood up straight. Link smiled haughtily.

“Guilty as charged.”

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the veggies, desperately trying to keep the bubble of hysteria in his throat from bursting. “Alright, enough fooling around. Go wash your hands, _shark boy.”_

Sidon chuckled. “Oui, chef.”

He padded away towards the sinks, and Link took the chance to take deep breaths, eyes widening at the cutting board in front of him. Was that flirting? Did he just flirt with Sidon? No, he didn’t, right? Briefly recalling his conversation with Zelda yesterday makes him panic momentarily before— 

Wait…

Did Sidon just… flirt with _him?_

No. 

**Nope.** No. Link exhaled slowly and shooed all those thoughts away, grabbed two knives from the knife block, and managed to smile when the Zora took his place next to him again.

“What are we making?” He asked, looking down at the vegetables in front of them. 

“Chicken pot pie and palmiers.” The Hylian responded, handing him a knife. “I already shredded the chicken and made the pastry dough earlier, so we don’t have to worry about all that. I just have to chop these up to make the fillings.”

Sidon nodded, face looking blank as if everything he just said had flown over his head. Which, to be fair, it probably did. 

“Watch and learn, Prince Sidon.”

Link grabbed an onion and cut it in half, trimmed the ends, peeled it, and chopped it up. Once he was done, he transferred it all to a bowl nearby, then turned to look at the Zora expectantly. The Prince pursed his lips, focusing intently as he tried to copy him, hands painfully unsure of what they were doing. Link couldn’t help it— he giggled. He bit his lip to stop, but by that point Sidon was already looking at him, blushing. 

“What are you laughing at?” He huffed sheepishly. “I am doing exactly what you did!” 

The Hylian smiled, leaned his elbows on the table, and rested his chin in his hands. “You’re acting as if you’ve never held a knife in your life.”

“This is the first time I am doing this!” 

Taking pity, he put his hand on Sidon’s, fixedly ignoring the way he could feel the Prince stiffen when he did. Link gently moved the Zora’s fingers around on the knife as he explained,

“You want your thumb and forefinger to rest in _front_ of the bolster, on the blade. You have better control this way, and your movements won’t be so… rigid.”

He pulled away, heart thrumming in his chest. Sidon was teal but focused on following his directions, chopping the onion with more confidence. 

“Oh, this isn’t so hard—” Sidon yelped, and Link’s eyes widened when the knife clattered against the cutting board. “Oh, goddess— oh no—”

The Hylian lunged for his hand, freezing when he realized that he wasn’t bleeding. He frowned, turning to look up at the Zora, and burst out laughing when he realized he was crying while squeezing his eyes as tight as he could. 

“I’m _dying!”_

Link snorted as he leaned against the counter, covering his mouth with his hand when the Zora turned to pout at him. 

“Link, I am serious! My eyes are burning _so much—”_

He wheezed. “Sidon, they’re _onions._ They can’t kill you—”

“Are you _absolutely_ sure about that?!”

“Onions irritate your eyes, Sidon!” He took a deep breath, immediately breaking out into laughter again. “Or maybe you’re crying because of my dazzling beauty. I know— it’s just _tear-jerking.”_

“I cannot stop crying, Link, how do I _stop?”_

He nodded understandingly. “It’s okay, it takes a while to get used to. My beauty, that is.”

The Zora finally laughed and pushed him lightly, and the Hylian snickered as he almost toppled off the step stool. He cleared his throat, shakily, smiling at Sidon’s pleading red eyes.

“Just chop the onion and it’ll be over faster, goddess Sidon you’re so _dramatic.”_

Upon hearing that, Sidon went back to chopping, muttering something under his breath that was something along the lines of _I’m not dramatic._ As soon as he was done, the Hylian put the onion in the bowl as his and swiftly continued to guide Sidon through chopping the rest of the vegetables. They got to the last ingredient, and as they were chopping, Sidon cleared his throat. 

“... You were not wrong, you know.”

“Hm?” Link hummed, half paying attention.

“About… about you.”

The Hylian cocked an eyebrow and looked up at him from the garlic in front of him. “What about me?”

“Y-your… your uh—” The Prince flushed dark teal and pointedly looked back down at the cutting board, motions slow and timid. “... Your beauty.”

He froze, breath hitching and his head slowly getting lighter on his shoulders. He thought, for a second, that he didn’t hear him right— but really, he knew he had heard him loud and clear. 

Accompanied by a swooping feeling in his stomach, Zelda’s voice reverberated in his head: 

_He could be thinking the same about you._

Link swallowed thickly, shaking his head discreetly to himself, biting his cheek to get rid of those reprehensible thoughts. After a few moments, he managed to strangle out what he hoped was an _oh,_ and turned back to the garlic in front of him. He prayed that his bangs were hiding how beet red he was. 

It was absurdly pathetic, he thought, how Sidon could make him such a mess with two words. 

“U-Um… th-thank you,” He finally stuttered, clearing his throat weakly. “Uh… are y— are you done chopping?” 

“Huh? Oh—! Y-yes, yes, yes I am.” 

Avoiding looking at the Prince in his eyes, he swiftly grabbed all the garlic, put it into a bowl, and turned his back to the Zora to turn on the stove. He physically relaxed as soon as he could hear Sidon go back to the table behind him. Link bit his lip, focusing on steadying his breaths as he cooked the filling for the pie. Once it was done, he set everything up in a skillet, put it in the oven, and focused on making the filling for the palmiers. He finished with that filling, put aside the mixture, and waved Sidon back over. Link smiled at him as he sauntered back up to him. 

“Have you at least done arts and crafts before?”

The Prince eyed him warily. “Yes, but… I do not see any arts and crafts supplies here.”

“What we’re about to do is similar,” Link mused, halving the dough, and handing him one of them. “Roll this out into a rectangle, please.”

Sidon puffed out his cheeks, accepting the rolling pin he handed him. “If I say I do not know what a rectangle is, would you believe me?”

Link rolled his eyes and worked on his dough, and once he was sure it was ready, he turned to look at the Prince’s and just about snorted. 

“Sidon— oh my goddess— that’s a _circle!”_ He giggled, biting his lip to muffle it when the man looked down at him pouting. “I… I thought you were kidding when you said you didn’t know what a rectangle was, I’m so sorry for not taking you seriously—”

The Zora immediately flushed bright teal. “I _was!_ I was kidding! I tried making a rectangle but it just— it didn’t work.”

“Sidon, _what?_ The dough was _already_ in a rectangle. All you had to do was roll it out.”

The Prince stilled and blinked at him before laughing abruptly, hiding his face with his hands, and mumbling dejectedly under his breath. Link smiled and patted his arm pityingly before taking his half and fixing it— once he did, he brushed the filling onto both halves and bumped his hip into Sidon’s side to get his attention. After demonstrating how to fold the dough to make the palmiers, he looked up at him expectantly, while the Prince looked down at him incredulously. 

“... Link, I really do appreciate the misguided faith you have in me, but—” 

The Hylian laughed and motioned to the dough. “Just _try_ it Sidon. Pretty please?” 

The Prince puffed out his cheeks and hesitantly did his best to copy the Hylian, and once the log was completely cut, he looked down at his row of palmiers dejectedly.

“Link, they look **_awful.”_** He chuckled shamefully, hiding his face in his hands. _“Please_ don’t bake those.”

“Stop it,” He unsuccessfully tried to bite back a smile. “You did _fine._ I promise.” 

“I’m never cooking again.” Sidon lamented, and this time, Link couldn’t hold back his laugh.

About an hour later, both the pie and palmiers were ready and perfectly golden. Link placed them on cooling racks as Sidon sauntered over, looking down at the baking sheet of perfectly lined palmiers. The Hylian smiled.

“See! Yours came out fine!”

The Prince scoffed. “Link, mine are absolutely sordid. _Look_ at them. I have no doubt in my mind that a child, even one with no sense of object permanence, could do better than this.”

“They’ll taste good, though, and isn’t that what matters at the end of the day?” Link grinned and grabbed one of the rejects, blowing on it for a bit before holding it up for the Prince.

Sidon grinned mischievously at him before leaning down, taking a bite out of it as the Hylian held it. A hum of approval left him as he straightened, eyes sliding shut as he smiled. Link blushed as he beamed proudly.

“Oh, goddess. That is _absolutely_ delicious, Link.”

He shrugged demurely as he popped the other half of the palmier into his mouth. “Well, It’s _my_ recipe. Of course it’s good.”

“So do we get to try the pie too, or…?” Sidon tried to slide past him to reach for the pie dish, jumping back when Link smacked his arm with a towel nearby.

“No!” The Prince gave him a surprised look, then flashed him his blinding smile— and if Link’s heart melted a bit, well, who was he to say anything about it? “Dinner is in, like, half an hour. You can wait thirty minutes for a piece of pie.”

“But it’s _right there.”_

The Hylian folded his arms and huffed at him; Sidon chuckled breathily and put his hands up in mock surrender, going back to his seat at the table. The dishes were, unfortunately, not going to wash themselves, and so Link busied himself by tackling them. After a few moments, Sidon joined him, helping him dry dishes, all the while exchanging banter with him. As they did, Link suddenly felt a pang of misery flare up in his chest.

They always joked around like this, before, but now with everything that they do now… with the illusion of a romance he’s always wanted… it was going to hurt when the month was over.

He was going to miss how domestic this was once he was back in Hateno. 

All alone.

* * *

King Dorephan had recently been insisting that they all spend time in the drawing room before turning in for the night, and so, after dinner, they all gathered there. The King took his seat in his stereotypical dad recliner, Mipha sat on one of the chairs near him, and in front of them, Sidon and Link sat on the couch. Well— Sidon sat. Link lay on the rest of it, putting his head on the Prince’s lap. They figured that it would be more couple-like than just sitting next to each other; plus, it helped that the Zora was incredibly comfortable to lay on.

A downside to being like this, Link found, was that Sidon had a full view of the Hylian’s expressions whenever King Dorephan posed embarrassing questions, which he had deemed acceptable to do, for some reason. 

And, like clockwork, the Zora King hummed in that tone Link had come to recognize as a harbinger of relentless mortification. 

“Sidon?”

The Prince looked up from his book. “Yes?”

“Dad, if this is another marriage question, I promise you, Sidon and Link have gotten the hint.” Mipha droned, not even looking up from her embroidery. 

“No, no, of course not.” King Dorephan laughed. “Why would I ask another marriage question?”

At this point, Link looked away from his book and eyed the three Zora curiously. The King wore a shrewd expression and chortled haughtily before blurting out,

“Have you and Link ever kissed?”

The poor Hylian inhaled sharply and desperately pulled the book as close to his face as possible, trying to cover up the fact that he turned bright red almost _immediately._ Sidon stiffened and stammered wildly above him, while on the other side of the room, Mipha squeaked. 

_“Father!_ That is— that is an _awfully_ personal question to bring up—”

“I’ve never seen them kiss! I’m just curious, that's all!” King Dorephan defended, a grin painfully obvious in his voice.

Maybe, Link thought, if he prayed enough, goddess Hylia would be kind enough to put the legend into effect right now. Sidon was still babbling dumbfoundedly, and the Hylian had no doubt he was dark teal if the way King Dorephan was wheezing at him said anything. 

“Sidon, my boy, take a deep breath! You’re going to choke!”

“Wh— I— f-father— wh— we—” Sidon stuttered, voice high and reedy.

Mipha groaned. “Dad, I _cannot_ believe you asked that.”

“But _think_ about it Mipha—”

“I _refuse.”_ She spat.

King Dorephan chuckled heartily. “I’m right, aren’t I? They’ve never _kissed—_ even if I sneak up on them to scare them a little bit, I’ve never even seen them _try_ to kiss.”

“What they do or not do is _none_ of my business! And it is none of yours, either!”

“F-father—” Sidon stuttered, and Link really, really wished he could do anything but hide behind his book. “We—”

“You can’t say you’re waiting until marriage to kiss, Sidon, because that is just so _lame—”_

_“Father!”_ Mipha screeched; he could hear the faint noise of a pillow hitting a body. “Stop! Talking! For the _love_ of goddess Hylia!” 

“Dad, we just— we are not— we just don’t want to kiss in front of anyone—” 

King Dorephan scoffed. “You say that as if I would banish you from the Domain if I caught you giving Link an innocent little peck.” 

The Hylian squeezed his eyes as tight as he could— he was _losing his mind._ After a lot more nagging from Mipha than Sidon, the Zora King finally let the matter go. 

Link really wished there were a way he could sink through the couch and never come back. 

When they finally retired for the night and dragged themselves back to the room, Link beelined towards the balcony, closing the door behind him as gently as he could. His burning lungs soothed as they took in the fresh air, and he slumped against the door for a split second before walking towards the railing. It stopped above his head, and without really thinking, he climbed, swinging his legs over the edge, grateful for the fact that he had long gotten used to heights. 

A gentle gust of wind, slightly sharp with its chill, swept through the night air, wrapping around him, and embracing him. He folded his arms around himself, pulling his faded hoodie closer to his body. The Domain was an assuaging blue at night, and it was so, so bright, so _beautiful,_ but there’s something flaring in his gut— unforgiving, hot, and wretched. 

Grief, he realized after a few seconds. It was grief. 

The Zora King’s words came into focus, and Link couldn’t help but scoff to himself, slide his eyes shut, and smile at the ridiculousness of it all. Imagine that. _Sidon kissing him._

Zelda’s voice joined King Dorephan’s, entwining around each other in a cruel waltz that left him in a stupor. His bottom lip started threatening to tremble and he bit it, muffling a sob that his throat choked out without his permission. 

Goddess, life could be so cruel. Always restricting what he could desire, yet always teasing him by holding it out of his reach. 

He sat out there for what seemed like forever, but was most likely only a few minutes, when a soft set of knocks behind him drew him out of his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder and smiled as softly as he could to the Zora, still standing on the threshold, knuckle still frozen against the door. 

“Hey.” The corner of the Prince’s mouth quirked up, slightly. “Mind if I join you?”

Link shrugged and faced forward again. Once he could hear Sidon’s footsteps approach, he spun on the railing to face him. Sitting all the way up here, he was just a few inches taller than him.

The Zora settled next to him, leaning his elbows against the railing. The Hylian watched as he looked up at the flock of birds flying by, humming softly before turning to look at him. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” He murmured. 

He cocked an eyebrow. ‘What do you mean?’

“I can tell something is bothering you, Link. What is wrong?”

A pang of guilt struck his heart and he huffed weakly. ‘It’s nothing— it’s stupid. Don’t worry about it.’

“No, it is not. I can tell you have been crying.” Sidon’s gaze softened, and he ended in a whisper. “Talk to me, Link. I want to help you.”

The Hylian blinked at him before averting his eyes, sighing slowly. He fumbled with his hands in his lap, deliberately staring at them before lifting them again. ‘I was… I was thinking about what your father said.’

Sidon stilled, exhaling sharply. “Link… we do not have to do _anything_ that makes you uncomfortable. That was out of line for my father to say.” He spoke quietly, even though there was no need for him to. “I should have said more to him about it. I am sorry.”

‘Thank you, Sidon. Really. But I was more worried because…’ He bit his cheek. ‘... Sidon, I told you that I’ve never— never…’

“Kissed anyone?” The Prince supplied and smiled sadly when he nodded in response. “I know. It is okay. I promise. I am not going to make you do anything you do not want to do.”

‘Sidon, no. You don’t—’ The Hylian sighed heavily, looking away. _“Ugh.”_

“I don’t what?”

He briefly wondered if he was _really_ going to talk to Sidon about this, of all people. One look at the Zora’s fraught face, however, made him make up his mind. 

‘Sidon, I’m supposed to be your _“boyfriend,”_ and I know kissing _should_ be a part of that, but I— I—’ He laughed, coldly. ‘I am such a coward! Everything I’ve ever done and romantic affection is where I draw _the fucking line?!’_

The Prince’s gaze softened, and he moved closer to him, making sure he could see his face. “Link, I promise it’s okay. It’s okay. You are _allowed_ to draw lines, wherever you need to.”

‘... I’m sorry, Sidon— for… you know.’

“There is nothing to be sorry about, my dear friend. You do not need to apologize to me.”

The Hylian swallowed thickly, blinking back tears as his bottom lip trembled. ‘I was just thinking that… if… if I ever find someone who loves me, how am I supposed to get them to stay if I don’t… if I don’t—’ 

“Link… _I—”_ Sidon stilled, inhaled sharply, and gripped the railing for a few seconds before continuing. “If the person you love does not understand why you do not want to do certain things, then they do not deserve you.”

‘But if King Dorephan thinks that our “relationship” is invalid because he’s never seen us do… _that,_ then—’

“I promise you, Link, from the bottom of my heart, that the man you fall in love with will love you so, _so_ much he will wait _however_ long it takes for you to be comfortable with doing anything. My father’s opinion on this matter should not worry you.”

Link smiled softly, and at the sight, Sidon flashed him his own grin. ‘Thanks, Sidon.’

“Of course.”

The Hylian sniffed, wiping away tears and suddenly laughing breathily. He shook his head at the thought, but the Prince caught his gaze, curiosity written all over his face. 

“What?” He asked, an amused glint entering his golden eyes.

His hands were currently busy wiping away tears, so he rolled his eyes, and said, “I just thought, like— I really wished kissing were as easy as holding hands, like we do. Goddess, that would make my life _so_ much easier.”

Sidon laughed softly, expression faltering slightly. “Like… like we do?”

“Well… yeah.” Link trailed, dropping his hands to his lap, and cocking an eyebrow. “We “practice” that all the time. It’s normal for us— for _me,_ now.”

He looked down, genuinely amused at the idea— wouldn’t that be a treat? But then… then he realized Sidon hadn’t responded, nor had he said anything in a while. Link warily glanced over at him, furrowing his eyebrows at the sight of the Prince staring blankly out at the Domain.

“... Sidon?” He whispered. “Hello? Earth to Sidon?” 

Link huffed out a laugh that quickly cut itself short when the Zora didn’t respond. Taken aback, he frowned and gently put a hand on his shoulder, about to repeat himself when the Prince suddenly blurted out,

“We could practice that, too, if you wanted.” 

Something pulls at his heart and diffuses in his chest, and it's making his throat clamp up— it’s… it’s burning. 

He’s shell-shocked. He can feel his eyes widen, he can feel his face as it gets hot, as that warmth spreads to the tips of his ears. He has to remind himself to breathe. 

Did Sidon just…? No, no he must have heard wrong. He _must_ have. 

Link suddenly realizes he hasn’t said anything yet.

“Wh- _what?”_ He strained out, and his voice is so hoarse, he’s not even sure the words actually left his mouth. 

The Zora slowly turns to look at him, and as soon as they lock eyes, he lurches back, almost as if he had just realized what he said. Sidon’s eyes go comically wide, and Link might have choked out a terse laugh had it not been for the fact that he was wearing that same expression himself. The Hylian watched as the Prince’s face went dark teal, he watched as he started to stammer hysterically, and he watched as he slowly started walking backwards to the door. 

“Oh, my goddess— I—! Oh— I-I’m— I am, **_so sorry,_** L-Link that was—” Sidon laughed, voice uncharacteristically jittery; his eyes darted frantically everywhere but at him. “That was so _inappropriate—_ a-and… and I— that was insultingly out of line, I do sincerely a-apologize, oh _goddess—”_

At that moment, Link’s brain went on autopilot, and his conscious was _screaming_ at him but all he could hear was static and the faint sound of his own voice shouting out,

“Wait— Sidon!” 

Even in the shadows, even with the blue light rebounding off the Domain, the Hylian could tell that the Zora was a dark, dark teal. Link’s heart twisted and coiled as it ricocheted around in the cavity of his chest. He swallowed thickly, miraculously maintaining eye contact with the Prince as he took a deep breath.

What the _hell_ was he _doing?!_

No. No, no, no! He can’t— he can’t _do that—_

“Sidon, I… I…” Link whispered, and he felt so lightheaded from looking into those golden, honey-colored eyes that he could have easily fallen off the railing. 

“... I didn’t say no.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of a short chapter because i'm sick, yay! i'm working on the next chapter already so don't worry,,, i'm not gonna make you guys suffer _that_ long dhdkSKDJ also, i just realized that link has been sad in a lot of these. i promise he's not going to be sad in every chapter jkdshfsh 
> 
> the cooking date may or may not be inspired by personal experience dhdshjkd listen, how was i supposed to know that teaching someone how to fold dough into a palmier shape was going to be hard? anyways sidon is so valid 
> 
> btw, i've started another sidlink fic, [love me in spite](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24545443/chapters/59269930), if anyone is interested! <3 
> 
> if you want, follow me on [tumblr](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> edit: forgot to say thank you to everyone who leaves comments on these chapters!! you are all so so sweet and i appreciate every single one of you <3333


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> facepalm! ❤️ i'm still sick, so this is going to be another short chapter. sorry about that! <3

“Oh, my goddess— I—! Oh— I-I’m— I am, **so sorry,** L-Link that was—” Sidon wheezed, voice cracking mercilessly. “That was so inappropriate— a-and… and I— that was insultingly out of line, I do sincerely a-apologize, oh goddess—”

There’s a concoction of emotions clashing in every inch of his body. That discordance was leaving him breathless and it was truthfully a miracle that he could even manage to think:

_Shit._

Why did he _say_ that?! He tried, and failed, to take deep breaths, gills flaring wildly against his arms with the effort. Sidon just ruined _everything,_ didn’t he? His heart was going absolutely insane in his chest, his hands were cold and clammy, and his legs wasted no time in staggering him backward. It was almost as if something was dragging him back into the room, desperately trying to get him away from the balcony. Away from Link.

He genuinely doesn’t think he can show his face to the Hylian ever again.

“Wait— Sidon!

His gut was screaming at him that he needed to leave, _now._ His vision was starting to spin and the space behind his eyes was starting to ache, but even so, at the sound of the Hylian’s voice, he froze in place. Carefully, the Prince met Link’s eyes, and as soon as their gazes locked, the entire world became right again. The Hylian didn’t look upset or offended at all; if anything, the Zora thought he looked… nervous.

“Sidon, I… I…” Link stuttered, eyes wide and face bright red. The Prince could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, even in the dim light of the night.

“… I didn’t say no.”

His body inhaled sharply. His brain short-circuited. His knees threatened to collapse.

Sidon knew for a fact that he heard the Hylian loud and clear, but the dots refused to be connected in his head. He blinked firmly a few times to make sure none of this was a figment of his imagination. But even after doing so, the Hylian was still there, ducking his head as he fiddled with his hands. All his doubt dispersed. 

Sidon’s legs moved forward without his permission, a trance that was broken as soon as Link looked into his eyes; he stopped directly in front of him. Goddess, he couldn’t believe this was happening. Was this _actually_ happening?

He bit his cheek and winced slightly at the pain. This was happening.

Without exchanging a word, the two of them huffed out short, clumsy laughs as they awkwardly tried to find a decent position. They ended up with Sidon in between Link’s legs, and the Zora’s hands placed on the railing on either side of the Hylian. The world came to a standstill as Sidon searched Link’s eyes for anything that hinted at even the smallest bit of hesitation. But, to his surprise, he didn’t find it. 

His tongue darted out, briefly, to moisten his lips. The Hylian tracked the movement, mouth parting ever so slightly as he switched his gaze back to the Zora’s eyes. Sidon couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment in which he angled his face and started to lean in— all he knows is that suddenly, the distance between them was getting smaller.

Eventually, they’re so close that he can feel Link’s slow, warm breaths brush against his skin. Slowly, the Hylian’s hand trailed up his chest, neck, and finally settled on his jaw, cupping his face. He subconsciously leaned into his touch, and watching Link’s eyelashes flutter delicately as his eyes started to close just about made the Prince’s heart stop.

There’s an amalgam of awe, love, and yearning pooling in Sidon's chest. The waves crash inside him, pulling him into a state of languor, but doubt threatens to trickle in. He’s sentient enough to freeze and pull back a little.

“Link… we do not have to do this if you do not want to.” He muttered. “You know I would never force you to… to do this.”

The Hylian looked into his eyes with half-lidded ones, the corners of his mouth quirking up. “I know.” He mumbled and shifted his fingers to curl under his jaw. “… I know.”

Sidon reflexively smiled back in response, but just as quick as it appeared, both of their expressions faltered. They stared at each other, neither daring to move or make a noise. The Prince swore he could have stayed like that forever, but after a few beats of silence, the Hylian’s eyes slipped closed. He watched intently, _breathlessly,_ as the Hylian leaned in, stopping when they were just barely brushing against each other.

“… Kiss me, Sidon.” Link whispered against his lips.

It’s all he needs.

The Prince closed the distance between them, and finally, _finally,_ their lips locked. He feels like he’s floating on air.

Link’s lips are as soft and velvety as he always imagined them to be, and they’re so gentle, so _warm._ Sidon doesn’t want to rush anything, desperately wanting to savour every second that he can. He doesn’t move and neither does Link; they simply press their lips against each other. 

After a few seconds, the Zora pulled away slightly, barely even putting any actual space between them. Blue eyes meet his, and they’re both so quiet he can’t even tell if either of them were breathing. With a tenderness that almost makes Sidon cry, Link cupped the other side of his face, brushing his fingers delicately along his jaw. He stepped closer to him, pressing their bodies flush in a warmth that was so familiar yet so, so foreign. 

They stared at each other.

Gingerly, Sidon leaned back in, giving Link enough space and time to pull away. He doesn’t.

This time, they both wait until they meet again to close their eyes. The Prince deliberately slid his lips against his, drawing out every movement and infusing as much adoration in his motions as he could. Link was hesitant— tentative with inexperience, but by following his lead he gradually gained more confidence. Sidon wasn’t exactly sure who deepened the kiss first, but all of a sudden there’s a desperate fervency in the sliding of their lips, an intensity filled with so much unforeseen passion it almost burns.

And it all feels so _right._ So many hours spent fantasizing about feeling those lips against his own, and somehow, this surpassed anything he had ever dreamt of.

Sidon always knew that Link was a fast learner, but there is something about the way he’s kissing him back that is making him forget who’s supposed to be teaching who.

With a lot more reluctance than he cared to admit, the Prince slowed his motions, and the Hylian followed suit. Eventually, the Zora pulled away, slowly sliding his eyes open. Link’s eyes were still closed, his lips subtly red and swollen, his golden eyelashes fluttering ever so slightly against his rose-colored cheeks.

Sidon doesn’t think he’s ever seen anything so breathtakingly beautiful.

Half-lidded, glazed over eyes soon met his gaze. The look that Link was directing at him made him weak in every aspect, so much so that he almost started to lean back in. But, after a few seconds, the Hylian blinked, and the look was replaced by soft, shy eyes and a demure smile.

“Um,” Link stuttered, blushing harder than he already was. He laughed breathily as he slid his hands off him. “I… _wow.”_

The Prince huffed out a chuckle, a selfish sense of pride welling up inside him. Just as quickly as it appeared, he schooled his expression into something he hoped was much more modest than what he was feeling. The Hylian averted his gaze, ducking his head and hiding his face with his bangs. 

“... I… I—” Link fumbled with his hands in his lap, deliberately muffling a giggle. “… _Wow,_ Sidon. You know, no one will… no one will _ever_ appreciate the fact that you set the bar that high.”

The Prince couldn’t help it— he flashed a softer version of his famous smile at him.

“What, did you really think I was going to let your first kiss be lackluster?” He joked, blushing furiously. “I am a _Prince,_ that would have ruined my reputation.”

The Hylian met his gaze, grinning as he rolled his eyes. 

“Oh— of course. _My apologies,_ Your Highness. I didn’t realize you had a reputation for first kisses.”

“I did not, but I do now.” 

Link laughed and pushed at his chest gingerly, blush still very much apparent on his face. The Zora’s cheeks hurt from smiling so wide. 

“You think you’re _so_ funny.” Link chuckled breathily as he hopped off the railing, patting the Prince’s arm before sauntering towards the door. “I’m going to go shower before bed.” 

He nodded in response and placed his forearms on the railing, leaning against it as he looked down at the Domain.

“Sidon?” The Prince looked back, grinning at the sight of the Hylian on the threshold, cocking an eyebrow at him. “Are you not coming back inside?”

“Oh— uh,” He sputtered, blushing as he rubbed at the nape of his neck. “I think… I think I will stay out here, for a bit.”

Link shrugged, giving him a small smile before stepping back into the room, closing the door behind him. At the sound of the door clicking shut, Sidon exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. 

And then, without warning, his knees buckled.

He fell to the ground, eyes widening as he lightly ran the tips of his fingers over his lips. Dear goddess, he just kissed Link. He _kissed_ him. He knew he shouldn’t be so elated about this, considering the plan and how it’s all supposed to be fake, but, somehow, he didn’t care as much as he knew he should. 

Sidon smiled giddily to himself, lamely pumping his fists in the air. He might have squealed if he had any less dignity.

_He_ **_kissed_ ** _Link._

* * *

In the morning, at practically the crack of dawn, Sidon awoke to a certain Hylian squirming to get out of his arms. He smiled to himself, and once Link was more than halfway free, he pulled him back down. The Hylian yelped as he landed half on the Prince and half on the bed, notes of laughter drifting into his disgruntled huffing.

_“Sidon!”_ He giggled, pushing himself up with his hands on the Zora’s chest as he frowned at him. A poorly hidden smile betrayed his expression. “Excuse me.”

“Oh, you are excused.”

The Prince laughed breathily as the Hylian swatted at his arm, retaliating the gesture by tightening his grip around his waist, pulling him closer. A tinge of red flushed Link’s cheeks and Sidon thought that, honestly, with his bed head and the glow of the morning sun in the room, it was a good look. 

Link’s expression turned soft, his gaze just about making the Prince’s breath hitch. “I have to go make breakfast.”

“You do not _have_ to,” Sidon pointed out, smiling at him.

“If I don’t go make breakfast, there won’t be any breakfast today. For anyone.”

The Prince sighed heavily and began to rub circles into Link’s sides, greatly appreciating the way the Hylian’s blush spread to the tips of his ears. “You know, this deal you made with chef Ravacan is really putting a damper on our relationship.”

Link cocked an eyebrow at him and snorted. “Well, I like cooking, and I’m helping Ravacan and the rest of the kitchen staff by taking over, so I personally don’t mind at all.”

“But what about me?”

“I think my opinion is _much_ more important on this matter.” The Hylian grinned widely at him. 

“Link!” He whined, pouting. “You cannot say that, I am your boyfriend!”

 _“Fake_ boyfriend,” Link corrected, laughing. “And I would listen to what you had to say if we didn’t spend _all_ of our free time together.”

“Hm… okay, you have a point. But I still would like to spend more time with you.”

“Then come cook with me.”

Sidon’s mind flashed back to the grotesque palmiers he made yesterday; he puffed out his cheeks. “… Uh… no can do.”

“Mmhm. I thought so.” Link smiled before pushing himself off him, but Sidon only pulled him back down to the bed, tightening his grip around him. 

“Do not leave me!” He lamented, burying his face into the Hylian’s shoulder, which shook with laughter. “You are so warm…”

“Honey, I have to go make breakfast. We have this conversation _every time_ I have to make breakfast.”

Sidon stilled, the pet name swirling in his thoughts and leaving him in a daze. Blushing, but still feeling rather mirthful, he pulled back to smirk at the Hylian. 

_“Honey?”_

The Hylian stared at him for a bit before turning bright red, scoffing, and pushing at his shoulders. He grumbled out what sounded to Sidon like _you are so mean to me,_ and _it’s a sin to bully the hand that feeds you, so you, sir, are going to hell._ Guffawing, the Prince tightened his arms around him, refusing to let him go.

“Sidon!” Link laughed, pushing at his shoulders. “Stop it!”

“I just would like to hold you, is that too much to ask for—”

“You held me _all night._ I’m serious— you’re not getting breakfast if you don’t let me go.”

“That will not be a problem. I can skip breakfast.”

_“Sidon.”_

The Prince beamed at him, to which the Hylian responded with an amused sigh. He relaxed in his arms, moving one of his hands to gently caress one of his head fins. 

“You’re so clingy in the morning.” He mumbled. 

The fondness in his voice made his chest feel warm. “I just like holding you.”

The two made eye contact. Link’s eyes were almost crystalline in the light drifting in from the windows, and as Sidon stared at him, a realization came over him that just about punched all the air out of him.

He had gotten so carried away with joking around with Link, that he had completely blanked on what happened last night.

_Last night._

Sidon sat up so quickly that his head throbbed with the vertigo that came over him, so much so that he barely even heard the Hylian’s sharp inhale as he sat up too. He thinks about how red Link has been this entire time and— oh, this is making _so_ much more sense now. 

“Sidon…?” Link whispered, a small wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. “Wh—”

“We kissed last night.” He blurted out, face quickly starting to feel hot. Dear goddess, why did his brain have to be so _impulsive?_

The Hylian jerked back slightly, blushing a lot harder than he was earlier. The Zora almost wanted to laugh at himself— he was so _dumb_ he was almost impressed. Link blinked at him, expression slowly turning wary.

“Um… yeah, we did. Did you… did you forget?”

“No! _No!”_ He winced when his outburst made the Hylian recoil in surprise. “I promise to goddess Hylia I did not forget, Link— I-I was still half asleep, you see— and… really, _how_ could I forget? There is no way I could ever forget k-kissing you—! I mean—! I—”’

Link’s eyes widened slightly. He bit his lip, but Sidon could tell he was trying to hold back a laugh— how _mortifying._ He really, really, _really_ wished he knew how to stay quiet when he got nervous.

“I-It was an honor!” Sidon stared at him for a few seconds before jaggedly laughing in high-pitched squeaks. 

The Hylian cocked an eyebrow at him, expression quickly growing concerned, and at that moment, the Prince decided he needed to jump ship. Immediately.

“You know— I-I think I remember Miph— my _father_ asking me to help him with some documents, funnily enough! I should— I should go now. To see if he needs my help. Now. W-with the documents. That he needs help with. _My_ help.” The Prince’s face felt hotter as his level of panic increased, only accentuated by the fact that the Hylian hadn’t responded once the entire time. _“Breakfast you at see I will!”_

Sidon doesn’t think he’s ever left a room faster.

* * *

As expected, breakfast was excruciatingly painful, and as soon as it was over, the Prince dismissed himself and practically dashed out of the palace. He needed to talk to someone, and he needed to talk to someone _now._ Usually, whenever he was going haywire like this, he’d go to Link. However, considering that Link _is_ the reason he’s going haywire, he went to the next person he knew he could trust. He walked, and walked, and walked, finally ending up outside intimidatingly intricate doors and promptly banging on them with the door knocker. 

“Hey, bud, you _really_ don’t need to assault my door like th—” Bazz’s voice echoed on the other side, and once the door swung open, he froze, squinting quizzically. “... Prince Sidon?”

“Good afternoon, Bazz.” Sidon greeted, unceremoniously pushing past him to pace the room frantically. 

The door clicked shut, and out of the corners of his eyes, he could see the captain on the alert, slowly making his way back to his seat. He didn’t really blame him. He must look insane. 

“Um, hi.” He sat back down. “... Are you good?”

“I need help.” The Prince begged, turning to him, wide-eyed. _“Please.”_

“Alright. How can I help you? Do you need a hug? Do you need to go to the training grounds? Do you need to talk about it?” 

“I… I need to talk about it, but I cannot… I do not know how.”

“Okay, so, do you need me to ramble while you think it through?”

“... Yes, please.”

Bazz gave him two thumbs up before standing, immediately rolling into a rant about something that had happened at the training grounds the other day. Sidon was, very obviously, half-paying attention, but it was nice to have background noise as he tried to get his thoughts together. He didn’t even know _how_ to start explaining everything. 

He kissed Link. 

He _kissed Link._

This changed things; he doesn’t know if he can make it through the month anymore. It was easier, before. Sure, he had slipped up a few times and had almost given himself away, but now that he knows what it felt like to kiss Link— 

Goddess, he just _had_ to go and make his life so much harder for himself, didn’t he!

Maybe, he thought, maybe if he floated face down in the reservoir for a few hours, he’d feel better.

He filed that idea away for another time. 

Bazz, on the other hand, was starting to gesture wildly. “[...], right? So they have the nerve to call _me_ out, so obviously I’m— pardon my language— pretty _P.O.’ed—”_

Sidon slumped down in one of the seats in front of the desk, burying his face in his hands and letting out a high-pitched, monotone groan. A headache was starting to painfully materialize from thinking so much. 

He thought, for a second, that it was possible that he might be overcomplicating everything for himself.

Oh, goddess.

He’s a Prince; he knew what to do— he could start by explaining his situation in a respectably calm, orderly way. He’s had years of formal public speaking under his belt. He could do this. 

With as much composure as he could muster, he sat up straight. 

The captain was spreading his arms out in a gesture that was obviously meant to be intimidating. “[...]! So I go up to him and I’m like, what, Marlin, you egg? And so I’m ruffling _his_ scales now—”

Okay. Sophistication. Articulation. 

**_“I kissed Link!”_** He blurted out.

… Nailed it.

“Huh…” Bazz stared at him, hands faltering from their mock fighting stance. After a few beats of silence, he broke out into a wide grin and held out his fist. “Well, hot diggity shit! _Nice!”_

Sidon scowled and swatted away his hand, pointedly ignoring the captain’s theatrical gasp. “No, _not_ nice, Bazz! This is not—”

“You rejected my fist bump!” Bazz lamented, jutting out his bottom lip. “The _betrayal…_ I thought we were _bros—”_

“Oh, for the love of goddess Hylia— I am going through emotional turmoil, Bazz!”

He groaned and slumped in his seat. The captain promptly responded to his outburst with a low, amused whistle.

“Whoa, Sidon. Was it really _that_ bad?”

“What? N-no! No!” He defended, quickly falling to a mutter. “It was… good. _Really_ good.”

“Sorry, what? I can’t help you out if I can’t hear what you’re _saying,_ Prince Sidon—”

“I said it was good! I _liked it!”_ He froze, eyes widening as he stared at the desk in front of him. “I… liked… it. _Oh, no.”_

The captain squinted at him warily before scratching his head with his index finger. “Okay, I’m… lost. Why is this a bad thing…?”

“Bazz, you know Link and I are not supposed to—! This— this wasn’t supposed to _happen.”_

Sidon shot up to his feet and immediately returned to pacing the room frantically. The captain’s gaze tracked his movements, not even saying a word as he sat back down in his chair. The Prince felt a twinge of guilt, almost, for being so worked up about something Bazz had next to no context to. He sighed heavily and counted to ten in his head, closing his eyes as he walked. 

“But it did happen.”

“I know! I know and—” The Prince huffed frustratedly. “And I am so _confused—”_

Bazz frowned and leaned back in his chair, squinting at him. “Wait a second— was it pretend?”

“... Kind of?” Sidon winced as he dwindled his pace.

 _“Kind of?”_ The captain repeated, scoffing incredulously. “What is that supposed to mean? If you want help, Dr. Bazz is going to need some deets.”

“It means… it means that it was supposed… to be…? Like— ugh. Okay, so, my father yesterday asked if we had ever kissed before, and _obviously_ we hadn’t, because we agreed that that was off limits! But Link got upset, so I comforted him, and he said— he said he wished kissing were as easy as what we practice now. And like an _idiot,_ I decided to say, “We could practice that too if you want!” And I panicked and tried to leave, but then he was like “Sidon I didn’t say no—””

“Whoa, whoa, _whoa,_ buddy.” Bazz put his hands up, making motions to encourage him to take deep breaths, which Sidon followed gratefully. “Calm down— you’re going a million miles an hour.”

Sidon took a few dizzying breaths before finishing. “We… we kissed. I _kissed_ him. Bazz, I—” His eyes widened as he plopped back into his seat like a rag doll. “... I kissed Link.”

“Right…” The captain drawled. “So, again: why is this a bad thing?”

“Wh— did you hear _anything_ I just said?”

“Of course I did. You’re freaking out because you two kissed and you aren’t supposed to.”

“Yes—”

“But you did.” He pointed out. “And you liked it.”

The captain stared at him, waiting for a response that never came. When Sidon only started to blush furiously, he grinned like a maniac. The Prince trusted Bazz with his life, but good goddess did the man just _love_ to torture him.

“So, when I asked if you guys were a _thing,_ and you said you guys were just really good friends, you were _lying_ to me.”

“I did not—” The Prince groaned and hid his face in his hands, pointedly ignoring Bazz’s cackling laughter. “Ugh.”

“So is that a yes?” 

“Y— yes _what?”_

“Are you guys more than friends?”

Sidon huffed, scowled at him, and stood up to pace along the wall again. He honestly didn’t know how to answer that. _Were_ they more than friends? Well, he supposed being in a fake relationship _did_ count, but take all of that away— what were they then? A Prince hopelessly in love with a man who didn’t love him back? 

“So… is that a yes…? Or…?” 

“I do not _know_ Bazz.” The Prince grunted, exasperatedly looking up at the ceiling as he traipsed back and forth. “I do not think so.”

The captain hummed. “Alright— then how long did you guys kiss for?”

Sidon stumbled violently, blushing furiously as he snapped his head towards him. “Wh- _what?”_

“How long was the _kiss,_ Sidon! Goddess man get your head in the game! I’m trying to help here!”

“Uh…” The Prince paused and squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could. When he opened them again, he immediately started pacing once more. “… I do not know. I was too focused on the fact that I was _kissing Link_ so—”

“Guesstimate.”

“Um,” The Prince stuttered. He honestly couldn’t believe Bazz was trying to make him think, with how obviously addled he was. “Uh—”

The captain stroked his chin for a few seconds before slamming his fist into his open palm. “Does around a minute sound right?”

“… I… I think so. M-maybe a little more…?” 

Bazz’s eyes widened slightly, a shit-eating grin taking over his face with a ferocity that was objectively almost impressive. 

“With all due respect, Prince Sidon, a kiss that lasts more than a minute with the guy you’re in a fake relationship with does _not_ come out of nowhere.” The captain rolled his eyes and chortled, leaning back in his seat with a cocky air. “Just “really good friends” don’t kiss that long. Like, I consider _us_ really good friends, but I’d kiss you for like, _three seconds_ tops.”

Sidon stilled and spun on his heel to stare at him, squinting judgmentally. “Bazz, what the _fuck? ”_

He put his hands up in mock surrender. “Listen, man. You’re an attractive guy and all, and I can see why everyone’s trying to get some, but— three seconds tops. _Maybe_ five, but that’s _really_ pushing it.” 

Staring at him harder, Sidon realized that Bazz was completely serious. Okay, well, he was just going to forget the captain had ever said that. But… he supposed he had a point. “Just friends” don’t kiss as long as he and Link did, and they certainly don’t kiss the _way_ they did. Oh, geez—

“I…” He sighed, closing his eyes, and pinching the flesh between them. “I do not know—” 

“Well, you like him, don’t you?”

The Prince bit his lip, pointedly not meeting Bazz’s eye. “Um… well, I would not… _exactly—”_

“Oh my goddess, just say yes. I already _know_ you do. There is literally no need to complicate this for yourself.”

“Wh—! What do you— what does _that_ mean?!”

Bazz looked at him amusedly. “Sidon, I already told you that I saw how happy you were about this whole fake relationship set-up thing.” He gestured vaguely. “You know, you’re a _bad_ liar and an even _worse_ actor. Oh, but, no offense, Your Highness.”

The Prince sighed heavily and hid his face in his hands in a poor attempt to hide how teal his face was. Goddess above help him— _Bazz_ figured it out? Bazz?! How obvious had he _been?_ Oh, no. He _really_ needed to dial everything back.

“Fine, fine— I like Link. I like him a lot, and I have for a long time now. Are you happy?” Sidon grumbled.

“The first step to dealing with feelings is acknowledging them, so yes, I _am_ happy.” Bazz nodded enthusiastically as he spoke. “But the real question here is: do you think he likes you back?”

The Prince scoffed, smiling sardonically as he dropped his hands to look at the captain. _“ Of course_ he does not. What kind of question is that?”

Bazz frowned. “What do you mean, _what kind of question is that?_ Sidon— honest to goddess— do you _really_ think Link doesn’t like you back?”

“He doesn’t!” Sidon snapped, almost offended on the Hylian’s behalf.

The captain’s eyes widened. He barked out a disdainful laugh, flipping over a stack of papers on his desk as he slumped back in his seat. “I— I _cannot_ believe you right now. Wh—! You guys _kissed!_ For more than a **_minute!_** How, literally, _how_ can it get more obvious than that?!”

“No. No! You do not know what you are talking about!”

Bazz stared at him incredulously, a hint of desperation behind it all. “You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding.”

When Sidon didn’t respond, Bazz groaned out an _oh my goddess you’re not kidding_ before burying his face in his hands. 

“Just because we— we kissed, does not mean he _likes me,_ Bazz!”

“Okay, no—” The captain cut in, shaking his head as hard as he could. “Usually, I’d agree with that. Yes, kissing does not always equal any actual interest. But, Sidon, combined with the way you two act around each other, Link kissing you back means that _he likes you._ ”

“No! You do not know him like I do— he is just a good actor!”

“I’m going to lose my mind,” Bazz muttered, slumping in his seat, and rubbing his temples. “Seriously— I’m at my limit.”

The Prince dropped back into his seat, staring at nothing. “... Link does not see me that way.”

“Whoa there, bucko— you can’t pull words out of Link’s mouth.” Bazz refuted. 

“I do not _need_ to. I can tell.”

The captain let out a bone-deep sigh. “Sidon, why do you think he accepted to act as your fake boyfriend when he’s turned down so many people in the past?”

“Easy— because I am his friend.”

“No, you _ding-dong!”_ Sidon yelped as he dodged the rolled-up piece of paper Bazz swatted at him. “It's because he _likes_ you! You really think Link, the Hero of Hyrule, would have _any_ problem saying no to you? Think about it, Sidon—”

“Bazz, I— he does _not_ like me.” The Prince insisted, ignoring the flash of pain in his chest. “And this makes everything so much harder, because I— _I like him,_ and now that I know what it is like to kiss him, I do not think I can ever interact with him and _not_ think about—”

Bazz sighed heavily. “Okay, you know what, I’ll give you mercy. I’ll let this drop, _for now._ But Prince Sidon, you know how you can solve all of your problems?”

“... How?”

The captain smiled widely and stood up. He walked over to where he was, slapped him on the back, and much too casually said, “Kiss him again.”

“Wh—” Sidon blushed furiously and sharply turned to gawk at him. _“I beg your pardon?!”_

“Kiss him again.” The captain repeated, shrugging. “If he reciprocates, there’s your answer.”

The Prince slowly turned his gaze to the ground, staring blankly. His mind felt like static.

Bazz guffawed at his demise and slapped his back again before walking towards the door. “Listen, I got to go. Captain duties, and all. But let me know how it goes!”

The door clicks shut, and Sidon is left all alone in the office.

Just thinking about the Hylian— how _ethereal_ he looked on the balcony last night— made his thoughts foggy and his chest feel tight. And to think about feeling those lips on his again… dear goddess, he doesn’t think he can _handle_ that. Besides, even if he were to get the bravado to kiss Link again, _when_ should he do it? What should he do if the Hylian _does_ reciprocate?

The Prince felt numb as he stood up, barely conscious of the fact that he was even walking towards the door. He left the office with his to-do list and a worrying amount of questions ricocheting around in his head that he didn’t have the constitution to answer.

* * *

It’s been two days.

It’s been two days since Bazz told him he needed to kiss Link again. One would think that in forty-eight hours, he would have been able to do it. Well, one would think wrong.

In theory, Sidon supposed it _was_ very simple. All he needed to do was kiss Link. But actually trying to put that all into practice had proved to be absolute hell.

He had been trying to look for the right moment— he _swears_ he has. The problem was that it was mind-blowingly difficult. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kiss the Hylian again; of course he did. Everything was going awry because Link just managed to make him so _nervous_ that all of his usual poise and charisma went directly down the drain. It almost seemed as if everything the Prince tried to do was either painfully awkward, clumsy, or both.

He was almost successful yesterday morning. Although in retrospect, _almost_ might be too generous of a description.

They had been in bed, on their sides, facing each other, and speaking in soft whispers as though anyone else could have heard them. As their conversation started to fade out, Link started to stare at him, and so Sidon decided that it would have been a good time to lean in. Unfortunately, he panicked and got insanely flustered. As a result, he had lurched back so violently his nose knocked into the Hylian’s, making him let out a distressed _ack!_

He apologized profusely, already dying of embarrassment and mentally writing his will; but Link had only sat up, covered his nose with both hands, and laughed so hard he cried and snorted inelegantly more than once. Although the Hylian had told him that he was perfectly fine, that didn’t stop him from replaying the painful moment nonstop in his head throughout the day.

Sidon didn’t even know if Link had realized what his intentions were. Which, if it were true, only made everything so much worse. The Prince didn’t really know how to make his actions more obvious. He knew he could just _ask_ the Hylian if he could kiss him, but every time he even thought about doing so his mouth got dry and he immediately changed the subject. After the fifth time that this had happened, he took a step back to reevaluate the situation.

He decided that it would probably be better if he kissed the Hylian again in front of someone else, such as King Dorephan. That way, his father’s suspicions would dissolve, _and_ Sidon could kiss Link and have a proper excuse to.

And so, after his meeting, the Prince made his way down to the kitchens. Whenever it was the Hylian’s turn to make lunch, King Dorephan was almost always there to keep him company; in his mind, it was the perfect setting to do it.

Sidon mulled over the plan as he padded down the hallway, the sound of his footsteps the only other noise his mind was willing to focus on. He fiddled tirelessly; he chewed at his lip, dusted himself off even though there was no need to, cracked his knuckles, and readjusted his regalia more than once. As the entrance to the kitchens came into view, he exhaled heavily and slumped against the wall outside, squeezing his eyes shut as tight as he could.

Okay. He could do this. He knew he could do this. It was just going to be a short kiss— nothing like that night on the balcony. This was fine.

This was _fine._

He took a step forward but almost immediately backtracked. Not knowing what else to do, the Prince settled on shaking every limb vigorously and jogging in place for a few seconds.

With one final deep breath, he puffed out his chest, held his head up high, and entered the room.

King Dorephan was, as he predicted, already at the dining table nearby. He was reading a book, and upon his entrance, he looked up at him, but Sidon paid him no mind.

Link was standing on his step stool at the stovetops, tongue peeking out of his mouth as he concentrated on the pot in front of him. His hair was tied back higher than he usually had it, which, somehow, made him more endearing than he already was. The Hylian added spices and wiped his hand off on his apron a few times before grabbing a wooden spoon nearby to stir the food. A smile quickly took over Sidon’s face, and as soon as he was just a few steps behind him, he hummed to announce his presence.

Link startled slightly at the sudden noise but visibly relaxed as soon as he looked over his shoulder. With surprising confidence, the Zora slithered his arms around the man’s waist, who let out a minute contented sigh as he leaned back into his chest.

“Hi,” He mumbled, smiling up at him as his hand slowed in its circular motions.

Sidon grinned back, humming a little more as he pulled the Hylian flush against him. “Hi.”

The man turned back to the pot in front of him, starting to stir again. His ears twitched as the Prince spoke quietly to him.

“It smells amazing in here.”

“Thank you.” Link scooped up a bit of the soup and held it over his shoulder. “Want to try?”

The Prince stooped slightly to take the mouthful of soup the Hylian offered to him. It was astonishingly rich; a mixture of chili, oregano, bay leaves, lime, garlic, and cumin accentuated the perfectly cooked hominy to create an explosion of flavors in his mouth.

Sidon couldn’t have stopped the pleased rumble that left his throat even if he had tried.

“That is _absolutely_ delicious.”

The Hylian’s expression turned smug as he took back the spoon, placing it aside and grabbing a clean one. “Yeah— _I_ made it.”

The Zora chuckled quietly, slowly fading into nothing as he studied the Hylian’s profile. A warm heat brushed over his cheeks as Link licked his lips, making him remember what he was supposed to do. This was his chance.

He breathed deeply, feeling his gills flutter slightly against his arms as he did. It was now or never.

“… Link?”

The Hylian looked back up at him, cocking an eyebrow inquisitively. “Yes?” 

Sidon searched his face for a few seconds, gaze finally settling on his eyes.

He slowly slid one arm off his waist, placing his hand under Link’s chin. As he tilted it up, the Hylian’s eyes widened slightly. 

“Sidon…?” He breathlessly whispered.

The Prince stilled for a few seconds, panicking at the Hylian’s hesitation. But, almost as if Link could read his mind, he craned his neck a bit, eyelashes fluttering as they started to slide shut.

The sight made Sidon’s cheeks color brighter than they already were, but it also gave him the boost of confidence he needed to go through with this.

With one final deep breath, he leaned in until their lips met. It was a short kiss— classified better as a prolonged peck, really. Even though it was shorter than the one they shared that night on the balcony, he still felt just as weightless, as if Link’s lips were an anchor holding him down.

Sidon pulled away and almost immediately the Hylian began to smile widely. He blushed harder, color spreading to the tips of his ears, and as those sparkling blue eyes slowly opened to meet his own, the Prince couldn’t help but feel the urge to kiss him again.

Luckily for him though, Link turned away, biting his lip as he returned his focus to the stovetop. As Sidon’s arm joined the other around his waist once more, King Dorephan’s voice boomed behind them.

_“Aw!”_ They looked back at him; his father was grinning widely, wiggling his index finger at them. “That was so _gay.”_

Link giggled quietly and Sidon joined him, rolling his eyes at his father as they turned their backs to him, pointedly ignoring the King’s overexaggerated cooing. The Prince leaned down and put his mouth by the Hylian’s ear.

“Was that okay?” He muttered, making sure it was quiet enough so only he could hear.

“Y-yeah. It was okay.” Link looked at him out of the corner of his eyes and smiled. “It was _more_ than okay, actually.”

Sidon blinked at him before breathily breaking out into a chuckle, which the Hylian responded to with his own airy laugh. “Well, then. I will certainly keep that in mind.”

“Oh, I bet you will.”

The Prince grinned, squeezing Link’s waist gently before letting his arms slide off him. He sauntered over to the table his father was sitting at, who was meeting him with a sneer.

“Look at my son, stepping out of his comfort zone! _Bravo!”_

Sidon shook his head and laughed, overpowered by his father’s hearty guffaw. He slid into his seat, which apparently was an invitation for the King to break out into a ramble with the obvious intention of pestering him. The Prince looked back over to the stovetops, and in an instant, all noise fell into a soft buzz.

Link was gazing at him, smiling, but the second he made eye contact with him he jumped, blushed furiously, and switched his focus back to the food on the stove. Sidon couldn’t see his full face from here, but he could tell that the Hylian was still fervently simpering as he finished pulling together the meal.

Something about the way Link was acting made all the moisture leave his mouth, made his throat clamp up, and made his chest feel like a wrung towel. _Sidon_ made him like that. The Hylian was so adorably flustered because of _him._

Bazz’s voice cut through the haze of his thoughts and swept away his tunnel vision.

_Link kissing you back means that he likes you._

Sidon bit his cheek, desperately willing those thoughts away. No, no— Bazz was wrong. This was all different.

For his own sanity, he _had_ to tell himself so.

* * *

That night, Sidon exited the bathroom, humming to himself as he sauntered across the room. Link was already on the bed, on his side, silently watching him. The Hylian was freshly showered, the multitude of soaps and fragrances he used making the air smell sweet and inviting. As the Prince lifted the comforter to slip into the bed, the Hylian sat up, his inquiring expression making the Zora slow in his motions. 

“... Sidon?” Link asked, a small wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. 

The Prince stilled, hand still gripping the sheets. “Yes?”

‘I found out something… very interesting today.’

The Hylian’s mouth started to quirk into a small smile, and Sidon couldn’t help but start to panic. He looked awfully suspicious, and he wasn’t exactly excited to hear what was coming next. His mind briefly flipped through every single rumor Bazz had told him was spreading throughout the Domain. Nothing seemed particularly incriminating to him, which only served to make him more nervous.

“Oh?” He choked out.

Link smiled wider. “Mmhm.” He hummed, lifting his hands again. ‘You see, I was out in the Domain… wandering around… going to different shops… and quite a few birdies told me that Zora are not meant to _sleep in beds.’_

The Prince’s eyes widened and he winced, which was apparently all the reaction Link needed in order to huff discontentedly. 

_‘Sidon!_ Why didn’t—’ Link shifted to sit on his knees so that he was closer to face level. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

“Um,” He stuttered.

Sidon knew _exactly_ why he hadn’t said anything. The first night they spent together, in the alcove, was an absolute dream come true for him. He didn’t ever think that any of _this_ would ever happen, so when Link got close to him it was as if he had unraveled completely. And then, when the Hylian had asked him to stay with him the next night— well, who was he to say no?

He swore he meant to say something about it. But… being able to hold Link so close, to feel his warmth as he slept… he didn’t want that to end.

Of course, the Prince was very much aware that he couldn’t just _say_ all of this to him. So, the next best thing his brain could think to say was:

“... Surprise?”

Link blinked at him before huffing out a laugh, ducking his head as he did. ‘I’m… I’m so sorry, I had no idea—’

“No, no! It is I who should apologize. But— I must say, Link, that it is not _that_ bad if I sleep in a bed.”

The Hylian stared at him incredulously. ‘Sidon, I was told that scales get dry and lose their vibrancy if you don’t get enough water.’

He puffed out his cheeks. “I take long showers in the morning to make up for it.”

Link raised his eyebrows to his hairline, shaking his head as he smiled. _‘What?_ Oh my goddess— wait…’ His expression fell. ‘They said that Zora tend to be in pain after sleeping in a bed.’

“... It is not that bad. More of a mild ache, really.”

The Hylian chuckled disbelievingly under his breath, hiding his face in his hands. The Zora was, for all appearances, absolutely mortified. 

‘Sidon, why— why didn’t you _say_ anything?!’

He blushed. “I… I just— I liked this.” He gestured vaguely. “This was… this was nice.”

The Hylian slowly looked back up at him, a faint pink blush brushing across his cheeks. He averted his eyes after a few beats of silence and bit his lip.

A wave of doubt washed over the Prince. “Um… d-did you… did you not like this?”

‘What?’ Link asked, looking back at him genuinely surprised. ‘I— I…’

Sidon watched as he dropped his hands to his lap, fiddling with them as he looked away again.

‘Of course I liked it, Sidon.’ Link blushed harder. ‘Of course I did.’

Something made his head feel overwhelmingly dizzy, but gathering all the mental strength he had, he managed to ignore it. The Hylian demurely met his eyes again. 

‘But… but you need to think about _yourself_ first.’ He smiled slightly. ‘So, from now on, you’re sleeping in your sleeping pool, and I am _not_ going to take no for an answer.’

The Prince pouted. “What? But—”

‘No “buts,” Sidon. I mean it. You have to. Otherwise, I’m just going to worry incessantly about you.’

The Zora sighed softly, hand finally letting go of the comforter. The Hylian grinned gently at him, waiting a few seconds before taking both of his hands into his own, their warmth more comforting to him than Link will ever know. 

“You look so upset.” He murmured quietly, rubbing circles into his skin with his thumbs. 

Sidon pursed his lips, a smile slightly tugging at them. “I know I should not be, but I just got so used to holding you every night. I will miss it.”

The Hylian rolled his eyes as he huffed out a small laugh.

“Sidon, I’m still going to be here when you wake up. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“I know...” The Prince muttered, before bringing the Hylian’s hands up to his lips and kissing his knuckles. He admired his resulting blush. “But, still.”

The Hylian hesitated a bit before he pulled their hands up to his mouth, delicately returning the kiss onto Sidon’s knuckles. The Zora’s breath hitched watching him, feeling his own face start to feel warm. 

“Go to sleep, Sidon.” Link smiled at him one last time before letting go, pointedly settling into the bed again.

The Prince gave him a somber grin before making his way over to his abandoned sleeping pool, and slowly submerged himself into the water.

He had to admit— it was nice to feel the water around him again like this. His muscles immediately relaxed, and it almost felt like his skin was taking in a deep breath of fresh air, with how much the water instantly soothed it. The pool sloshed noisily as he shifted around into his usual sleeping position, but even as Sidon settled in, it all felt… off.

It felt like something had been torn away from him.

As he looked over at the Hylian, who had turned his back on him, his arms ached— _yearned._

He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, desperately wishing for sleep to whirl him away.

Unfortunately, that sleep never came. A low, frustrated rumble came from his throat as he opened his eyes and sighed heavily. Judging by the different lighting in the room, about an hour had gone by of trying and failing to fall asleep. His gaze drifted, once again falling onto the curve of the Hylian’s back. 

Taking a chance, he whispered, “Link?”

No response. He frowned slightly at the fact that the Hylian had left him to suffer like this all alone, but after a few seconds, his figure stirred on the bed. The water splashed behind him as his tail involuntarily began to wag. 

“Mm?” Link mumbled.

“Are you awake?” Sidon asked, stupidly. 

“No.” 

The smile in his voice was obviously discernible. He grinned. 

The sheets on the bed shifted around as the Hylian turned to face him. Even with the dim moonlight streaming in through the windows, he looked absolutely beautiful. 

“Why are you awake?” Link whispered. 

“Why are _you_ awake?” Sidon parried, grinning widely at him. The Hylian huffed out a small laugh.

“I asked you first.”

“I asked you second.”

Link smiled ever so softly at him. “... I couldn’t sleep.”

“Neither could I.” The Prince muttered.

They stared at each other in quiet understanding.

“... Can I come back?” He pleaded.

Link shook his head. “You need to sleep in your pool, silly billy.”

The Zora sighed heavily. “This _billy_ does not want to.” He whined, satisfied at the giggle he drew out of him.

“Maybe not, but you have to.”

He pouted; Link smiled— soft and lambent. 

Sidon moved to rest his forearms on the edge of the pool so that he could look at him properly. 

“Well… if I cannot go there… you could come here.”

Link cocked an eyebrow at him and scoffed. “You want me to go in the _pool,_ Sidon? Absolutely not—”

The Prince blushed. “N-no! No I meant— I meant that I could drag the bed over here.”

The Hylian blinked at him, his eyebrow still raised. Sidon was about to call the idea off when Link’s expression fell into a vaguely amused one. 

“I’m not against that.”

His wide, famously bright smile took over his face before he could even think about stopping it. The Prince lifted himself out of the pool, too eager to dry himself off before walking towards the Hylian. Link scrunched his nose up at him. 

“Dear goddess, Sidon, you’re making a _mess.”_

“It will dry.”

The Prince laughed with him, grabbing the bed frame, and starting to drag it towards the pool. The Hylian giggled, apparently getting great joy out of being dragged around while on the bed. He briefly considered lugging it around the room some more but decided against it. The Zora situated the bed as close to the edge of the pool as he could get it and went back in, smiling widely. 

Link simpered back at him, shifting around until he was lying down closer to the side of the bed. He let his hand hang off the edge, and the Prince took the opportunity to reach out and hold it. His chest felt tight, coiling as the Hylian squeezed his hand gently. He returned the gesture.

“Go to sleep, Sidon.” Link mumbled. 

The Zora gazed at him, eyes subconsciously drifting across every feature. Once he met the Hylian’s eyes again, his heart felt like it practically lurched.

They stared at each other blankly, and something came over Sidon— an urge that he didn’t even bother to think over first. It wasn’t that he had the confidence to not do so, it’s just that he’s pretty sure he didn’t realize what he had felt before he started to move. 

He pushed himself up with his other hand on the edge of the pool. The water sloshed around at his movements, and the water dripping off of him hit the ground with tiny plops. Link blinked at him before slowly pushing himself up too, with not even a word exchanged between them. 

It felt like a dream. They were caught in a daze and the Prince honestly wasn’t even sure this was happening. But, with a maundering pace, their eyes slid shut.

And then their lips parted.

And then, with one final movement, they kissed.

It was brief, short, and sweet. Profoundly shorter than the one on the balcony, yet slightly longer than the one earlier that day.

As Sidon sunk back into the pool, Link plopped back onto the bed. The Prince’s face felt hot, almost shell-shocked at what he had just done.

It seemed surreal, almost, how _casual_ that had been— but the Hylian’s crimson tinged cheeks told him that he was feeling the same way.

Sidon briefly wondered if he would let him kiss him again.

Link smiled softly at him. “Good night, Sidon.” He whispered.

“Good night, Link.” He smiled back.

Still holding hands, they drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're otters :')
> 
> zelda: link, it's okay. don't beat yourself up for having feelings; it's perfectly natural. if things don't turn out the way you want them to, you're still worthy of love, and you always will be. i'm here for you <3  
> bazz: SIDON YOU DUMB PIECE OF SHIT OH MY GODDESS—
> 
> link and sidon kissed one (1) time and they were like: right. here's an idea— kiss again? how about one more time? two more times? three more—
> 
> i say this every chapter but i mean it more and more every single time: thank you so much to everyone who comments (and leaves kudos)!!! it genuinely means _so_ much to me! and you are all?? so so sweet?? i'm so grateful for all of you <33333
> 
> if you want, follow me on [tumblr](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/)!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long to get to y'all! life happened, and writer's block happened... its been rough lol. this ones a bit more B plot based, but i hope you guys still like it! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) 
> 
> i initially was going to only post one chapter, but combined it would have been more than 20k. i know no one would have wanted to read that much at once so i split it! the next chapter isnt far behind at all; it shouldn’t take longer than a week to come out, but if it takes longer than that i’m sorry dshdjdkdjds
> 
> shout out to my beta [amy](https://harmonicallychaos.tumblr.com/) for dealing with my bs jksdJSK if you haven't yet, please read her fic [Link Apologizes to the Zora](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25222978/chapters/61137688)!! its so funny and sweet and beautiful and it's one of my favorite fics right now <3

_ “Why are you doing this?” _

With a hoarse gasp, Link scrambled to his feet — he had been on the ground —  _ why had he been on the ground? _ His eyes darted around, widening as he scanned the horizon. All he could see was mist, but as soon as that thought came into his head, a soft breeze swept by, and what seemed like a castle came into view. The Hylian furrowed his eyebrows and took a full turn, seeing what vaguely looked like mountain ranges, edifices, and trees in the distance. It was familiar; they were all separated as if…

No, no that couldn’t be. This looked nothing like Hyrule. 

Where  _ was  _ he?

_ “Why are you doing this?”  _ The voice repeated, louder. Stronger.  _ Angrier.  _

He tried to say,  _ “What do you mean?” _ but the words felt heavy and thick in his mouth, dying on the tip of his tongue. 

_ “Why do you seek a future?” _

The voice hissed as if it could read his mind, echoing in his ears and making them ache. The Hylian reflexively reached behind him, only to come to the terrifying realization that he was unarmed. Whispers, rushed and restless, surrounded him as the ground suddenly began to crumble and fall into oblivion.

Link opened his mouth to say something,  _ anything,  _ but as the final piece of earth under him fell, whatever he had tried to say morphed into a scream.

There was an abrupt flash of white, and everything turned to black. No — not black —  _ night.  _ It was nighttime, and the light from the full moon illuminated what the flames in front of him couldn’t. Link panted heavily, wiping the cold sweat off his brow as he jolted up, looking around, but for  _ what, _ he wasn’t sure. The only things he could process were the restless crickets singing nearby, and the occasional rustling of grass that sounded with nocturnal critters. 

The fine, blond hair on the Hylian’s arms began to rise, and his instincts were screaming at him to run, yet strangely, begging for him to stay. Everything around him began to bathe in a haze of crimson, with charcoal black and glowing red specks quickly filling the air around him. The clouds raced in the sky, violently hurling past him to an unknown destination as haunting chords began to ring in his ears. Link’s fire seemed like nothing now under the light of the blood moon.

Suddenly — the Hylian’s throat felt tight, similar to the sensation of his voice getting caught. Everything had frozen. Absolutely nothing was moving; even the wind had stopped in its motions. The silence, and consequently, the stillness, was deafening.

With a trembling, bated breath, Link unwillingly turned to look to his left.

And standing there, just a few inches away, a golden wolf with one glowing red eye stared right back at him.

There’s a sensation of  _ something _ sinking behind him, and for a spine-chilling second, he thinks that the ground is disintegrating again. But, no — an extra mass caused a dip on the patch of grass he had chosen to build his fire in front of. It makes his heart jumpstart, and any sleep that had miraculously managed to cling to him throughout that entire ordeal immediately dissipated to nothing, as easy as sugar in water. 

It was an ease that came from waking up after a hundred years with no memories to speak of; yet having to learn very quickly that the world was a dangerous place. He had spent prolonged periods of time constantly alert of his surroundings, and although it was safer now, the instinct still lingered. It was what had kept him alive for so long, after all. 

Link shot up, a new rush of adrenaline rushing into his veins and taking over his body, forcing him to go on autopilot. He desperately rummaged through his camp to find something to defend himself with but all he could feel was fabric, fabric,  _ fabric —  _ where was his sword?!

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” A voice called out, but it was so  _ distant, _ so  _ distorted,  _ that it barely even reached Link’s ears. 

A pair of large, heavy, warm hands fell onto his shoulders, gripping them softly and forcing him to freeze. The weight of them anchored him, and soon enough, his vision stopped spinning and everything slowly fell into focus. Nature dissolved, and previous blobs of color took form as Link became painfully aware of the burning in his lungs. Not just his lungs, he quickly discovered. His diaphragm, his throat, and his chest, which was heaving violently as a result. The ringing in his ears crescendoed, to the point that the Hylian flinched, squeezing his eyes as tight as he could to soften its blow. A voice was speaking to him, a velvety quality that was cajoling him closer, so much warmer than those whispers from before. 

Link’s eyes opened and focused on hands — _his_ hands — gripping the sheets below him for dear life. Swallowing thickly, he finally looked up and jerked. For a split second, he saw the wolf’s eyes once again, but then they transfigured into golden ones, melting with worry as they stared back at him. 

… Sidon.  _ Sidon  _ was staring back at him. 

Consciously trying to slow his breaths, he stilled, gradually beginning to understand what was happening as his gaze traveled around his surroundings. 

He was not in danger. 

There was no patch of grass, there was no fire set up with wood he had picked up from a stable nearby, and there was no threat that he had to defend himself from. More importantly, there was no sign of a golden wolf, no sign of a blood moon, no sign that mist had ever been around him, and there was no sign of that desolate, strangely macabre hinterland.

Link was in the Domain. He was in Sidon’s room. He was in Sidon’s bed. There was no need to feel fear here. 

He was  _ safe.  _

One of the large hands on his shoulders slid off, only to find its way onto the Hylian’s face, the thumb caressing his cheek gently as its fingers curled under his jaw. Link focused on breathing in and out for a few seconds, before sighing softly, leaning into the Prince’s touch as he slid his eyes shut. Seeing was far too taxing at that moment. 

“My dear friend,” Sidon whispered, his trembling voice barely discernible, the sound of it alone making Link’s heart wrench. “... Are you alright?”

“I am now,” He muttered back — he meant it. 

“... Is it okay if I hug you?”

“Yes,” The Hylian’s voice sounded so impuissant, but he didn’t have the energy to care. “...please.” 

Strong arms slid around him and pulled him closer, and Link went with no protest. He could feel his eyebrows twitch, his fingers tremble, his legs quiver; side effects from all the adrenaline slowly fading away. The Hylian wrapped his arms around the Zora’s neck as he buried his face in the crook of it. Discreetly inhaling the man’s smell, he could feel the tension in his body slowly begin to melt. Sidon’s hands engulfed his back, but it was a welcome pressure that encouraged him to slump against his chest. 

Without being told to, he began to match Sidon’s breathing. Link noticeably calmed down, but his mind refused to stop racing. An itch of familiarity cried out at him, but as much as the Hylian tried to grasp onto it, he couldn’t bring it into focus. 

Why did that wolf feel so…  _ constituent?  _

A long stretch of silence passed before the Zora shifted slightly, gently guiding him back to reality.

“Do you feel better?” His chest rumbled against him as he spoke.

The Hylian paused before nodding, and a sigh of relief left the Prince. 

“Good… good, I am... glad.” 

Link wasn’t sure this was something he could speak to Sidon about. But maybe… maybe he could ask _Zelda_ about it. There had been something about his dream that felt uncanny, yet so _real._ It felt like a memory, despite the fact that he had never seen that wolf, or that _place,_ before in his life. If anyone would know anything about it, or know how to get information about it, it was Zelda. Ultimately deciding that that was the best course of action, the Hylian shoved all his worries away — it could wait. 

For now, Link let his forehead slide down to rest against Sidon’s shoulder. At this angle, he could make out the way the Zora’s slow, deep breaths made his chest rise and fall.

“Sorry, Sidon,” He whispered. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Do not apologize, Link; you did nothing wrong. It is okay.”

Wordlessly, the Hylian moved to rest his cheek on the Zora’s shoulder instead, the man’s scales tickling his skin as he did. A smile tugged at his lips momentarily before falling again as he slid his eyes shut. They were heavy, but not from sleep — from fatigue. 

Sidon’s hands rubbed at his back in circles, slowing in their motions. “Did you have a nightmare?” 

“Uh…” Link sighed heavily. “Not really…? I don’t… actually, I don’t even really know.”

The Prince hummed in response, not asking for any more information, and the Hylian couldn’t have been more grateful. He had always appreciated that about Sidon — always able to tell when a subject shouldn’t be pushed. 

Another stretch of silence passed before the Zora began to recline, pulling the two of them down to lay on the bed. Still wrapped around each other, Link went too easily. Sleep began to creep back up on him as Sidon pulled the comforter over the two of them, the cool fabric easing his muscles and all the tension in them. However, as soon as the Prince’s arms tightened around him again, the Hylian frowned, pulling out of his embrace to sit up. 

_ “Sidon.” _ Link said, in an admonishing tone.

The Prince looked up at him, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Yes?”

The Hylian frowned, but seeing the Zora smile only made his expression falter as he subconsciously tried to mirror him. 

“We said you were going to stay in your sleeping pool.”

Sidon blinked at him before a wash of teal brushed over his cheeks, his arms going slack around the Hylian. “No, actually, we… um… we said I was going to  _ sleep  _ in my sleeping pool.” 

_ “Sidon.”  _ Link chided, laughing breathily when the Prince puffed out his cheeks in a pout. “For goddess’s sake, go back to your pool!”

“But Link!” He whined, unsuccessfully trying to pull the Hylian back down. “I slept in there like you told me to! I did!”

Link briefly glanced out one of the windows, cocking his eyebrow at the way the sun was barely even over the horizon. It couldn’t have been earlier than seven o’clock. 

“There are still like, two hours until breakfast—”

_ “Please?” _ Sidon jutted out his bottom lip, and Link couldn’t help but laugh and roll his eyes. “I promise two hours in a bed will not hurt me — see? My scales feel better than usual already!” 

The Prince pointedly offered him his arm, and the Hylian sighed before brushing the tips of his fingers along the scatter of scales there. It was true — they felt  _ a lot _ softer than they had yesterday. He met the Zora’s eyes again with a cocked eyebrow, finding a gaze glinting with hubris. Any tough exterior Link had tried to build up immediately shattered; he smiled and fondly shook his head as he lay back down. The Zora, obviously much too satisfied with the situation, hummed amusedly as he pulled Link back into his arms. 

“You’re  _ ridiculous.” _ The Hylian muttered, more to himself than Sidon. 

“No I am not — my name is _ Sidon.” _

A beat passed before Link snorted, resting his head against the Prince’s chest and closing his eyes. Sidon’s shoulders shook lightly with silent laughter, and the Hylian immediately knew he was pleased with himself. They lay there quietly, not even realizing when they fell asleep.

So,  _ so  _ much easier than last night, and — better yet — with no reminders of mist or a glowing red eye.

* * *

Having to wake up and actually get out of bed proved to be another challenge entirely. Link and Sidon lay there, still wrapped around each other as they slowly pushed their drowsiness away. The Hylian’s dream from earlier lurked along the edges of his thoughts, but the warmth radiating from the Prince managed to keep them at bay. He rested his forehead on Sidon’s shoulder with a sigh. 

“… I’m still tired.” Link whined.

The Zora chuckled softly. “I am sorry, Link. But — look at the bright side!”

The Hylian looked up at the Prince quizzically and cocked an eyebrow.

“... What? What’s the bright side?”

“I don’t know.” Sidon grinned widely. “Just look at it.”

Link blinked at him before laughing breathily, letting his head drop to the Zora’s shoulder again.

“You think you’re  _ so  _ funny.”

“I do. I am  _ very _ funny.” Sidon started to laugh with him. “We have established this already.”

The Hylian snorted and rolled his eyes as he sat up, muscles tenser than they usually were — likely because of what had happened earlier. 

“Oh, well,  _ excuse _ me, Prince Sidon.” Link stretched his arms out in front of and above him, trying not to focus on the fact that he could feel the Prince still watching him. “What time is it?”

… No response. The Hylian looked over his shoulder, blush extending to the tips of his ears at the sight of the Zora’s eyes trained on him. The Prince in question was  _ very  _ obviously lost in thought, and goddess, Link couldn’t help it; he preened under his stare.

“What?” He winked playfully. “Like what you see?”

The Prince jolted and met his gaze, obviously not having heard his quip. Which, thinking back on now, the Hylian was  _ incredibly _ thankful for. A new flush of warmth rose to his cheeks.

“Ye— wh— uh… huh?” Sidon said, lamely.

Link smiled as he continued to stretch, and if he was a bit more…  _ risqué  _ with his motions, he only felt a tinge of shame about it. 

“I said what time is it?” He repeated. 

“O-oh! Right. Um—” The Hylian watched amusedly as the Zora turned bright teal, quickly looking out one of the windows. “It’s nine o’clock.”

The two stilled as those words hung in the air, before slowly turning to look at each other in mutual horror.

_ “It’s  _ **_nine o’clock.”_ ** Sidon hissed, and then everything turned into a flurry of rushed movements as they practically leaped off the bed. 

They were late for breakfast.

Clothes flew as Link got dressed, cursing under his breath as he hopped on one foot to pull his boot on. At some point, he tripped over the pair of boots he had put beside a table a few days ago, having deemed them incapable of bothering anyone there. The Hylian had let out a high-pitched yelp when he landed on his back, making Sidon fumble with his jewelry as he — very rudely — wheezed at him. With a scowl, Link flipped him off before getting back up to tie his hair. 

Eventually, they stepped out of the room, made eye contact, and without another word raced each other to breakfast. Prince Sidon may have been twice his height, but Link’s legs were  _ made  _ to run. He sprinted through the halls and down the staircases, and burst through the doors of the dining room with a triumphant laugh—

Which almost immediately evaporated into thin air when King Dorephan and Mipha turned to look in his direction. The Prince, not realizing he had skidded to a stop, ran into him, somehow managing to catch the Hylian before he hit the ground. 

King Dorephan and Princess Mipha did not react to their behavior. 

Face feeling hot, dignity at an all-time low, Link stood up straight before shuffling over to the table. Sidon’s footsteps padded behind him, and by their lack of rhythm, the Hylian could tell the Prince felt the same way. 

“You two are late.” King Dorephan pointed out, eyes twinkling at them as he took a sip from his goblet. 

They stiffly slid into their seats, their plates of untouched food mocking them for their poor life decisions. As Mipha peered at the two curiously, dabbing her mouth with her napkin, Link could feel Sidon tense up beside him. Obviously, there was something else in her expression that he wasn’t privy to, but frankly, he decided it was none of his business. He resolutely took a sip from his glass of water. 

“Y-yes, we are. Um…” Sidon stammered, letting out a slow exhale before continuing. “We are terribly sorry, we just—” 

“No, do not apologize!” The Zora King smiled as he waved dismissively. “It is alright! On the contrary, it is good to know that you two are making the most of your time together.” 

“I… I suppose we are, but really we only—” 

“You know what they say — the best way to bond with your partner is through sexual intercourse!” King Dorephan  _ beamed.  _

A beat passed before Link processed what he had just said, but as soon as he did, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. The poor Hylian slammed his glass back onto the table, desperately gulping all the water in his mouth before coughing and wheezing relentlessly. Sidon sputtered beside him, knees banging violently against the table as he jerked in surprise. 

_ “F-father!”  _

“What?” King Dorephan laughed innocently, as if he hadn’t just murdered Link a few seconds ago. “You two are a couple! It is as natural as the sun setting and the moon rising, as natural as the push and pull of the tides—” 

This wasn’t happening. This  _ wasn’t happening.  _

The Hylian’s face felt so hot he was dizzy. Dear goddess, just the  _ thought  _ of it alone made his chest flutter— 

**Nope.** Time to stop thinking.

The Prince let out a reedy, strangled noise, akin to a dying animal. “Father,  _ please, _ we did n—” 

“I think they’ve suffered enough embarrassment for today—” Mipha tried to cut in, but asking King Dorephan to stop teasing them was like adding lantern oil to a bonfire.

“I  _ would  _ make a comment about being on fatigued knees as you worship at a shrine, but I do suppose you two would have no issues with that, given your height difference—”

The Princess gasped.  **_“Father!”_ **

Link buried his face in his hands, wishing he didn’t have Hylian ears; they had the disadvantage of hearing  _ everything.  _ Oh, what he would do to have his Sheikah slate so he could disappear — Purah’s research be damned. 

_ “Dad!”  _ Sidon squeaked out.

“A journey with a sentimental end can create—” King Dorephan gestured dramatically. “—such a strong bond between two lovers.” 

“Okay! I think you have painted the picture  _ very  _ clear, dad!” Mipha pointed a neutral face at him, and upon seeing it, the Zora King faltered and sat back in his seat. The Princess smiled tightly.  _ “Thank you.” _

Link slowly dragged his hands down his face, praying to Hylia to give him the sweet,  _ sweet  _ release of death. His eyes flickered over to Sidon, who conveniently happened to meet his gaze at the same time. The two flushed in tandem and quickly averted their eyes, the implications made at the table far too much to even make eye contact with each other.

He decided that King Dorephan had a vendetta against him — that was the only explanation for this torture. It wasn’t like Link had never  _ thought  _ of it before, but the Zora King could  _ at least _ have the decency to not bring it up!

Silence fell at the table as they eventually began to eat, but the Hylian chewed far slower than usual. He was still trying to get over the mortification of his fake boyfriend’s father implying that they… that they had…

“So!” Mipha smiled as she clapped her hands, and he mentally thanked her for her mercy. “Have you gotten your outfit yet, Link?”

The Hylian cocked a quizzical eyebrow. ‘... Outfit?’

Mipha blinked, before directing her focus to the Prince beside him, smile never wavering.

“Sidon?

The Zora shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “... Yes?”

“Did you not take Link to Adri?” 

“Um…” Sidon stuttered, puffing out his cheeks before exhaling slowly. “I… forgot…?”

“You…  _ forgot.”  _ The Princess tightened her lips slightly. “You  _ forgot  _ to take Link to Adri to get an outfit tailored.”

“... Yes?”

Sidon winced; Link frowned, eyes darting rapidly between the two as he tried to piece things together.

‘Who is Adri?’ He paused. ‘And why do I need to get an outfit tailored?’

King Dorephan gave him a surprised look before looking down at Sidon, tutting disapprovingly.

“My boy, did you not even tell Link about the festival?”

“I—!” The Prince blushed furiously. “I got distracted!” 

The Zora King snorted amusedly, muttering out  _ oh, I am sure you did _ under his breath. Mipha sighed heavily and pinched the flesh between her eyes. 

Sidon pouted, tail twitching in that way Link had long learned meant he was starting to get upset. Without thinking, he grabbed a hold of his hand under the table and gave it a light squeeze. The Prince looked down at him, expression immediately going soft when their eyes met. The Zora smiled, and the Hylian simpered back, even more so when Sidon gave his hand a squeeze, too. 

Wanting to (very selfishly) keep holding Sidon’s hand, Link cleared his throat before speaking. “So… this festival… what exactly is it?”

“It’s the Champion Festival. We created it after the Great Calamity when we… assumed the worst about Mipha.” The Prince explained, trailing off at the end, smile dropping. “A commemoration.”

King Dorephan let out a heavy sigh, full of exhaustion, ringing of time lost to mourning. “The anniversary of the Great Calamity is at the end of the week. It was meant as a celebration of Mipha’s bravery and her life, but even after she came back to us, we still continued to hold it.”

Link pulled his eyes away from the King to look at the Princess, who sat directly across from him. She smiled softly, expression as kind as ever. 

“I am very grateful. Having to watch the Domain mourn over me from Vah Ruta…” She averted her eyes, picking at her food. “I am honored for the festival. But now that we have two Champions with us, it is only right for you to be celebrated too, Link.”

Mipha directed her gaze to him, beaming despite the knowledge of everything that had happened… before. The Hylian tried his best to return the sentiments through the wrench tugging at his heart. Having seen the Zora Princess trapped on Vah Ruta, still in agonizing pain after being imprisoned for a century, had been incredibly distressing —  _ especially _ after regaining memories of their friendship. Almost as if she could read his mind, Mipha reached across the table, offering her hand to him. With a weak smile, Link reached out and grabbed it.

“We are both here now, Link, and Calamity Ganon is defeated. There is no need to mourn anymore.”

Link nodded in agreement, smiling softly at her before letting go. Under the table, Sidon grasped his hand tighter and pressed his knee against his. The Hylian hesitated before emulating the gesture, neither of them withdrawing afterward.

“So… uh,” Link stammered and cocked his head. “Why do I need an outfit? Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to just wear my Champion’s tunic?”

King Dorephan let out a hearty laugh. “Nonsense! Why would you pass up getting an outfit made just for you?”

“Well, it’s just that—”

“Sorry Link, but since you and Sidon are dating, you have to follow traditional dress codes for the royal family.” Mipha grinned widely at him. “There’s no getting out of this.”

Link pouted. “But—!”

“I know you don’t like dressing in fancy clothes, but I  _ promise  _ it will only be one evening.” 

Slumping back in his seat, he grumbled under his breath. The Hylian had attended  _ way  _ too many ceremonies since he defeated Calamity Ganon, and he wasn’t very keen on attending another one. But… 

Link glanced at Sidon from the corners of his eyes. Just as quickly, he averted his gaze and smiled, feeling his heart thrum against his chest cavity.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. 

“Since  _ Sidon  _ didn’t take you to Adri,” Mipha emphasized this by pointing a look at the Prince, who mumbled out a soft  _ sorry.  _ “We need to take you as soon as possible so the tailors can get started on everything. I will take you after we are done eating.”

“Oh.” Link shifted uncomfortably in his seat — he needed time to mentally prepare for the dread of other people touching him. “S-so soon? I thought you guys had a meeting after this?”

King Dorephan waved his hand dismissively. “Missing one meeting will do no harm! And while our tailors have made outfits in as little as two days, I would rather they start it as soon as possible.” He winked. “The more time they have, the better your outfit will be, after all.” 

Leaving Link to wonder exactly what the hell the implication of  _ that  _ was supposed to be, the Zora King changed the subject, switching to tell Mipha something about the meeting. After a few more minutes, kitchen staff appeared to take the dishes, which Sidon took as an opportunity to lean closer to him.

“Are you going to be alright?” He mumbled, nodding and smiling politely at staff that passed by. 

“Yeah, I think so.” Link whispered back, cocking an eyebrow at him. “Why?”

“Are you sure?” The Prince looked at him, expression filled with worry. 

“Yes, I—”

“If you are not comfortable with this, I can tell them so—” 

“Sidon.”

“— and we can figure out an alternative—”

_ “Sidon, _ listen to me. Please.” 

The Zora clamped his mouth shut, blushing as Link laughed breathily and adjusted the hold on his hand.

“I promise I’ll be fine; don’t worry.” He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It’ll be nice to do something new, anyway.”

Sidon pouted. “You say that as if you are tired of me.”

The Hylian shook his head as hard as he could, bangs swaying with the motion. “I could never get tired of you.”

Link blinked at him before realizing what he had just said. Turning bright red, he watched mortified as the Prince gazed at him amusedly. 

“Well, well,  _ well.” _ Sidon teased. “That was oddly romantic of you.”

“H-hey!” The Hylian sputtered, feeling the tips of his ears start to burn.  _ “Excuse me, _ I—! I can be romantic!” 

The Zora Prince chuckled, humming out an incredulous _mmhm_ as Link scoffed. He was about to mumble out another defensive retort when, in the blink of an eye, Sidon’s lips were on his. Link’s mind went completely blank; he stiffened, his eyes widened, and his breath hitched. Still, the Hylian somehow managed to recover quickly so he could crane into the kiss.

However, much,  _ much _ sooner than Link would’ve liked, the Prince pulled away with a gasp, going so far as to drop the Hylian’s hand.

“I-I — I am  _ s-so _ sorry—” 

Link opened his eyes, promptly raising his eyebrows at the sight of Sidon’s bright teal face. Out of his periphery, he could see King Dorephan and Mipha already standing up, staring at them curiously. The Zora Prince’s eyes widened, darted to look over at them, before darting back to meet the Hylian’s gaze again. 

“I-I mean—! Not sorry! No, no that is not… w-wait—” 

Sidon’s face turned a deeper shade of teal, and Link couldn’t help but giggle, unsuccessfully hiding it behind his hand. The desperation in the Prince’s betrayed expression almost made the Hylian feel bad about it. 

“Sidon,” Link smiled shyly. “Y-you don’t… you don’t have to apologize. You know you can kiss me whenever you want, right?” 

The Zora Prince let out a strained, strangled noise as King Dorephan guffawed in front of them; even Mipha started to laugh a little.

“I… I can  _ what?!” _

“You’re my  _ boyfriend,”  _ He said matter-of-factly. “Of course you can.” 

Sidon turned a deeper shade of teal, taking in a sharp breath as his eyes got even wider. The Hylian was starting to get concerned.

“R-right. Boyfriend. Right, yes of course. Correct.  _ Obviously.  _ U-um—” His throat bobbed as he swallowed and abruptly pushed his chair back, which screeched in protest as it dragged across the floor. 

“Sidon, you love-struck fool! Let’s get going, the council is waiting for us!” King Dorephan bellowed, already at the other side of the room.

With another string of incomprehensible stammering, the Prince nodded as he stood up, lamely pushing his chair back in. Link smiled, following suit before gently placing a hand on the Zora’s forearm. It had the desired effect — Sidon stilled, and any tension in him evidently assuaged as he looked down at the Hylian. Link let his hand slide down, and brushed the tips of their fingers together before letting go.

“R-Right. Well, um… I have to go — uh, have fun, Link.”

Sidon blushed harder before walking over to King Dorephan, practically tripping over his feet so he could look back and wave goodbye. Bashfully waving back, Link noted how hot his face felt as he watched the Prince leave.

Goddess, he’s never going to get used to kissing him.

Not that he should, anyway.

When Link finally turned around again, Mipha stood at the doors nearby with an amused expression. Embarrassment flushed his face, and despite the fact that he  _ knew  _ the Princess had seen them interact that way before, it still felt wrong to do all of that in front of her. The Hylian cleared his throat before walking up to her, letting out a slow exhale as he shifted his weight on each foot.

‘No matter what I say, I’m not getting out of this, am I?’

Mipha grinned. “Aw, Link. Of course not.”

With a sigh, he followed her out of the dining room and beyond the palace. A few Zora bowed to them as they walked through the Domain, and the Princess made sure to greet all of them with an air of jubilant ease. Eventually, they stepped onto one of the bridges, and as soon as they were out of sight of curious eyes, Link snapped his fingers to get her attention. 

“Yes?”

‘You and Sidon interact with everyone the same way.’ He smiled. ‘Did he learn that from you, or did you learn that from him?’

She pursed her lips as she moved her hands behind her back. “He learned that from  _ me,  _ thank you very much. But I did learn a few things from him too, so I cannot discredit him completely. As much as I would like to.”

Link cocked an eyebrow at her. ‘I’m going to tell him you said that.’

“Fine by me. What is  _ he _ going to do about it?”

They laughed, and his chest became lighter, free from an albatross the Hylian hadn’t even realized was there before. 

Since he’s woken up, a few memories trickle in every now and then of his life a hundred years ago. Whether they were tear-jerking or excruciatingly biting was completely arbitrary, but beneath every single one of them, a current of  _ longing  _ droned quietly. Link subconsciously missed many things, but of those one of the most distinguished ones was the rapport he had with the Zora Princess. Every time they share a laugh, another puzzle piece slides into place and the tautness in his heart is alleviated just a little more. 

“You’re oddly happy this morning.” She pointed out as they went down one of the paths, which Link recognized as the one to the Zora market. “Though I can already imagine why.”

Link furrowed his eyebrows before glancing over at her, tilting his head as if to say  _ what are you talking about?.  _ Mipha met his eyes, and with a smirk, she winked at him, which was enough to immediately prompt the poor Hylian’s face to burn in embarrassment. 

_ ‘Mipha!’  _ He signed, distressed. ‘Not you too! W-we didn’t—! We did  **_not—’_ **

She sneered, laughing behind her hand. “Mmhm, okay.”

‘Oh my goddess.’ The Hylian groaned as he hid his face in his hands, shame seeping into every inch of his body. “I can’t believe you.”

If Link had known his (fake) boyfriend’s family would have eventually teased them by implying that they had sex that morning, he  _ just might have _ said no to Sidon that day in Hateno.

“I’m just kidding, Link.”

The Hylian let out a bone-deep sigh. 

“… Or am I?”

“I hate you.” He hissed out, scowling at her through his fingers. “No, really. I  _ hate  _ you.”

Mipha guffawed, having the  _ nerve _ to only laugh harder when Link shoved at her arm.

“Careful there, I could report you to Bazz for harassing me.”

He cocked an eyebrow. ‘Bazz wouldn’t do anything to me.’

When the Princess only looked at him incredulously, he hesitated. On second thought... 

The Hylian stepped back, crossing his arms across his chest to prevent them from embarrassing him any further. Bazz may be his friend, but he was also the captain of the royal guard, and Link knew from firsthand experience that the royal family comes before him.

He winced at the memory of Bazz stabbing him with his spear because  _ apparently _ paragliding to land on a Zora Prince’s back as a prank was a “threat” and a “danger to his livelihood.”

‘Where are we even going?’

Mipha smiled haughtily at the abrupt change in subject. “The tailor shop. It’s beyond the Zora market.”

Link nodded at the explanation and followed her through the gates of the plaza, but as they did, he frowned, mind wandering to another pressing question. 

‘Hold on a second. Why do you guys even  _ have  _ tailors? Zora don’t wear clothes.’

The Princess blinked at him before pointedly looking down at the various regalia on her body. “Well, they mostly work for the palace and the Royal Guards. But they also make clothing for those who aren’t Zora.” She met Link’s eyes again and smiled. “They’ve found it’s a good business tactic, a lot of people seem to like our designs.”

He hummed in acknowledgment, and seemingly satisfied with his response, Mipha continued to lead the way.

Just like in the Domain, they stopped every few steps so that Mipha could interact with her people. After a while, certainly a lot longer than Mipha had intended, they reached a line of buildings and eventually stopped in front of one. Link opened the door for the Princess and stepped in after her, making sure the door was completely closed before turning around.

It was surprisingly quaint, with plants on multiple surfaces, as well as décor that Link noticed had influences from different parts of Hyrule. Suddenly a boisterous voice reverberated throughout the room, and he jumped before spinning on the balls of his feet to look over at the source. 

“Princess Mipha! What an honor to see you on this lovely day!”

From one of the doorways a tall, dark gray female Zora emerged, and Link couldn’t help but be immediately impressed at the sight of her.

She was burly with broad shoulders, built with toned arms and legs that hinted at immense power. She had a few silver piercings — Link didn’t even  _ know  _ Zora could get piercings. He noted with overwhelming curiosity the way the Zora leaned her arms on the front desk, completely ignoring him, and instead flashing a wide grin at the Princess. 

He also noted the fact that Mipha was fiddling with her thumbs, simpering with a light shade of teal brushed across her cheeks.

_ Interesting. _

“H-Hello Adri,” The Princess greeted. “How are you?”

“Better, now that you’re here.”

Adri winked, making Mipha turn a darker shade of teal, but making Link let out a snort. At that, the two Zora turned to face him; the gray Zora looked at him curiously, while the Princess looked at him with such an intense scowl that he ducked his head in silent apology.

“Oh, Master Link! Sorry about that, I didn’t even notice you there.” Adri laughed politely as she rubbed the back of her neck. “How can I help you?”

“Uh—”

“Link needs an outfit for the festival.” Mipha cut in. “Sidon forgot to bring him earlier. I know it is such a short time to work, but I know how talented you are, and I know from the bottom of my heart that you can do it wonderfully.”

Adri blushed and ducked her head. From this angle, Link could see her pump her fist minutely under the desk.

“Of course, Your Highness. I would be honored.” She turned to Link and smiled, cocking her head towards the doorway she had come through. “Follow me to the back, we’ll take your measurements there, okay?”

The Hylian nodded, and at that, Adri spun on her heel and sauntered through the threshold, her stride and general demeanor easy and confident. He waited for a few seconds before grabbing Mipha’s arm, stopping her mid-step. As soon as she turned to look at him, he cocked an eyebrow, to which she responded to with a bright teal blush.

“Don’t you _ dare.”  _ She hissed under her breath.

Link let go of her arm with a smirk. ‘You tease me endlessly about Sidon, it’s only fair that I return the favor.’

“It’s— it’s different!”

‘It’s really not.’

The Princess opened her mouth, clamped it shut, frowned, and sighed in defeat, pinching the flesh between her eyes. “Whatever. Come on.”

Without another word, she led them out of the room. Link smiled haughtily at the back of her head, and almost as if she could see him without even looking back, she hissed out a  _ stop it. _

They entered through another doorway where Adri was on a couch, already scribbling away on some paper. There were mirrors in front of a raised platform in the middle of the room where Ledo stood, tape measure in one hand, notebook, and pencil in the other. 

“Oh, if it isn’t the Hylian!” He smiled widely, beckoning him over. “Allow me to take your measurements, please.”

Link nodded before stepping up onto the platform, while Mipha sat two spaces away from Adri on the couch. He smirked at her as he gave her two thumbs up, which she very obviously did  _ not _ appreciate.

“So, Mr. Master Link, sir,” Adri butted in as she gave him a once over, looked down at her paper, crumpled it up, and threw it into the bin on the other side of the room. She reached towards the shelves nearby and snatched out another piece of paper before starting to mark on it too. “Any preferences you have for outfits like this?”

The green Zora stepped behind him to put the tape measure across his shoulders, squinting before writing something down in his notebook. Link narrowed his eyes at his reflection in the mirror, trying to distract himself from the fact that Ledo was a lot closer to him than he’d like him to be.

“Uh…” He stuttered, putting his hands on his hips so Ledo could have easier access to his chest. “I’ve never um… I’ve never really worn outfits for special events like this, so…”

Adri hummed. “That’s okay! Just tell me what you look for in clothes in general and I’ll work around that.”

Link narrowed his eyes as he thought. When he bought clothes, if ever, he only thought about their defense and how well he was able to move in them. He never really gave any thought to anything else. Sensing his hesitance, the gray Zora spoke again, which he was very grateful for.

“So there are things such as whether you prefer style over comfort, if there’s a certain color scheme you’re looking for…” She smirked. “How sexy you want to look for Prince Sidon, etc.”

To his credit, Link only choked on his spit a little bit, eyes wide and face burning so hot he would’ve thought he was in the Gerudo desert.

“Wh-wh—” He squeaked out, spinning to face her directly.  _ “What?!” _

Adri looked annoyingly pleased with herself. Ledo tutted in annoyance, and Link moved back into place with a small  _ sorry. _

“Did I stutter?”

Link opened his mouth before pressing it into a thin line, eyes widening even more as the words  _ why would I want to look sexy for Prince Sidon?!  _ threatened to roll off his tongue.

_ Oh. _

Right. People thought they were dating.

He bit his lip before averting his eyes, spreading his arms when Ledo tapped them so that the Zora could measure his waist. To his demise, he realized Ledo was smirking, shoulders shaking with silent laughter at his reaction. From the mirror, he could see Mipha hiding a smile behind her hand. He forced himself to look at the ground.

Goddess, this was so  _ embarrassing. _

“U-um…” He stammered, somehow blushing harder. “I’d like to be comfortable and be able to move. Everything else… is uh, up to you, I guess.”

“Oh believe me, that will be my  _ pleasure.” _ Adri grinned widely as she scribbled on her paper, moving her wrist in a way that told Link she was drawing.

Mipha giggled beside her, nodding enthusiastically when Adri showed her the page. The gray Zora hummed contentedly before continuing to draw, while Ledo measured the height of his waist to his hip.

“So, Link,” He started, smiling at him before jotting numbers down in his notebook. “There’s been a lot of talk about you in the Domain.”

The Hylian frowned at that, various whispers of  _ shouldn’t he be dead?  _ trickling into his thoughts. “About what?”

“About how you managed to court Prince Sidon.”

Link jerked his head slightly, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline in surprise.  _ That  _ was new.

“Oh, yeah!” Adri laughed, glancing up from her paper. “There have been so many theories it’s hard to keep up with all of them.”

Mipha leaned forward, frowning. Her hands clenched into loose fists, but Link knew how to read her body language; She was  _ furious. _

“What exactly have people been saying?” She asked, voice somehow managing to remain diplomatic.

“Ledo, you know more about this than I do.”

The green Zora snorted before wrapping the tape measure around Link’s hips. “Well, some people said that Prince Sidon wanted the Master Sword for himself. Others say you probably went up to him and pointed out the fact that you saved the Domain, so the least he could do was fall in love with you. Others say Prince Sidon saw how good you are at protecting the Domain, so he decided to keep you around.”

Link couldn’t help it; his ears downturned slightly as he looked down at his feet and bit his cheek. So the only way people saw Sidon purposefully dating him was for his benefit. The Hylian knew this wasn’t true. The Prince wouldn’t —  _ couldn’t  _ — do that to someone. 

But still. It stung.

“Oh, there were also some people saying you had offered to train the Royal Guard if the Prince dated you.” Adri provided, scoffing as she rolled her eyes. “There was also this one theory that said you promised to give Prince Sidon exactly thirteen rupees whenever you two interacted romantically in public.”

_ “What?”  _ Mipha scowled, her fists trembling slightly with how hard she was gripping them. “That is—! I… good goddess, those are all so—! So  _ oafish!  _ Especially the last one! What kind of person would think Sidon would court Link for an advantageous relationship?!”

The gray Zora looked over at her, pouting.  _ “I _ made up the last one.”

Mipha blinked at her — she did not respond.

Adri’s eyes widened comically. “I-It was a joke! I promise!”

Ledo chuckled as he measured from the base of Link’s neck to his hip. “Well I, for one, agree, Your Highness. They’re all so blind. If they would just  _ look _ at the two, they would know that is not the case at all.”

The Hylian furrowed his eyebrows a bit, making eye contact with himself in the mirror.  _ What is  _ **_that_ ** _ supposed to mean? _

The green Zora stopped writing in his notebook and looked at him, surprised. Link diverted his eyes but blushed furiously once he realized Adri and Mipha wore the same expression.

He had said that out loud, hadn’t he?

_ Wow. _

Isn’t this just jolly.

“What?” Ledo laughed. “You know what I mean. I know you do.”

He blushed harder. “Uh—”

Wrong answer, judging from how Adri gasped loudly from her seat.

“Master Link, how could you say such a thing!” He didn’t even  _ say  _ anything. “Don’t you see how Prince Sidon looks at you? That man is absolutely lovestruck. He gets heart eyes when he so much as  _ spots _ you across the Domain. It's honestly surprising it took you two this long to get together!”

“U-um—” He stammered.

He can’t exactly tell them they’re not  _ actually _ dating _ ,  _ but it’s good to know that Sidon’s acting skills are convincing enough to trick other people, too.

“Exactly.” Mipha harrumphed. “I cannot believe people would even say things like that. Sidon has been in love with you since you appeased Vah Ruta.”

Link opened his mouth to agree, remembering Sidon making that up during their first dinner, before Adri chuckled as she pulled out a fresh page.

“Oh,  _ please. _ Prince Sidon was in love with Link from the second he saw him.”

“Hear, hear!” Ledo exclaimed, moving on from measuring his back to his legs.

“I-I wouldn’t—” Link finally choked out after what seemed like hours of stammering futilely, face unbearably hot. “I wouldn’t go  _ that  _ far—”

“Listen, man,” Adri laughed. “I know you’re supposed to be like, modest, or whatever in relationships, but I  _ promise  _ you I am telling the truth. You had Prince Sidon tripping over his feet from day one.”

Ledo motioned something to him before hopping off the platform, but Link didn’t even react. He felt so lightheaded the Hylian swore he was about to faint. That wasn’t true. No, that wasn’t true. He was  _ there.  _ There is no way in hell Sidon  _ ever  _ thought of him that way. It just— it’s just  _ not  _ plausible! They had read the Prince wrong. They had read  _ everything _ wrong.

Mipha giggled at him. “Link, you look like you don’t believe us at all.” Because he  _ didn’t.  _ “Either way, Sidon is genuinely so in love with you, it’s too much to watch. I’ve never seen him so happy.”

“You guys are—” He swallowed thickly. “You guys are really overreacting. I mean— I know Sidon… l-loves me, but—”

The Princess gave him an incredulous look.

“Link, Sidon practically sulked around the palace when you weren’t here. He only ever smiled when someone else was watching. But now he’s  _ always  _ smiling. I have never seen him smile so much, and I have definitely never seen him smile like  _ that.” _

The Hylian could feel the tips of his ears start to burn, and he looked down at his feet, forcefully smiling through the sudden jolt of pain in his chest.

If only.

All he could do was dream.

“Hey,” Ledo popped his head in through the door—  _ when had he left the room?! _ — and grinned. “Speak of the devil.”

He walked through and behind him, Sidon appeared, ducking to get through the doorway and straightening once he was inside the room. The Prince’s eyes lit up once they landed on him, and the Hylian only felt a little guilty at the way his stomach swooped at the sight.

“Link!” He exclaimed, tail wagging behind him. “How did it go?”

A smile tugged at Link’s lips. ‘It was okay—’

“It is so lovely to see you as well, Prince Sidon!” Adri called out behind them, smirking as she put her papers away. “It’s not like anyone else is in the room, or anything!”

The Prince blushed, tail tucking ever so slightly as he looked over at her. “My apologies, Adri. It is good to see you as well.”

Sidon turned back towards the Hylian again, but all of a sudden Mipha’s lilting laughter filled the air, and the Prince stilled. He pointedly spun on his heel to look at her, a wide grin on his face that, upon seeing it, made the Princess’s giggles fall flat.

“You know, Adri,” Sidon started, motioning theatrically towards his sister. “Mipha practically fought me to be the one to bring Link to you today. She did not actually say it, but it was clear as day that she was  _ dying  _ to see you.”

The gray Zora faltered in her movements, tail twitching slightly as she flushed. Beside her, Mipha stared at Sidon with an obvious, falsely bright smile.

“Oh, wow,  _ thank  _ you for saying that Sidon!” Her grin got tighter. Link would be lying if he said he didn’t feel at least a little bit threatened himself. “You know, it’s quite funny! I had just finished telling your dear Link here a similar story.”

Sidon stilled. “… Oh?”

“Yes. I told him just how  _ miserable  _ you were these past few months without him! How you were moping around the castle, waiting for a letter from him every single day!”

Link frowned; she hadn’t mentioned that last part to him. Had Sidon really looked forward to his letters that much? … Oh, _goddess._ Now he felt even more awful for all those times it had taken him weeks to get back to him. He made a mental note to write the Prince more often from now on.

“I—!” Sidon sputtered futilely, turning a darker shade of teal with every passing second. “I missed him! That is a perfectly valid reason I — I am  _ allowed  _ to miss him!”

Mipha and Adri burst into a fit of giggles. When not even the Hylian managed to suppress his laugh, the Prince pouted, giving him a look that practically cried  _ et tu, Link?! _

“Aw, poor Prince Sidon!” The gray Zora cooed, letting out an inelegant snort at the way the Prince puffed out his cheeks. “Link, you’re never going to be able to leave his sight again!”

The Princess chuckled, and, apparently deciding that her brother had had enough torture, she began to drag Adri through one of the side doors.

“Get well soon!” The gray Zora shouted, her grinning face the last thing the two of them saw before the door slammed shut behind her.

The Hylian stared at the back of Sidon’s head, watching his muscles ripple as he rolled his shoulders. Then, the Prince turned to look at him, face colored a deep shade of teal.

“U-um…” He stammered bashfully.

Taking pity, Link smiled. “You know I could have made it back to the palace just fine by myself, right?”

Sidon stilled at the sudden change in subject. “… What?”

“You came to walk me back to the palace, didn’t you?”

“O-oh! Yes. Yes, I did. Uh…”

The two stared at each other for a bit as the Prince absentmindedly fumbled with his hands. Link bounced on the balls of his feet as he patiently waited for Sidon to continue.

“I was going to ask if you would like to join me. I need to return to my room to get a document for my father, but I was hoping that… we could go on a walk together after?”

The Hylian cocked an eyebrow at him. “Sidon, we go on walks all the time. Of course we can.”

“Y-yes, that is true, but there was somewhere specific that I wanted to show you. If that is okay.”

Link responded with a nod, and at that the Prince noticeably relaxed, his usual bubbly air coming back as he sidled up to him.

“Let’s go, then.”

The Zora wrapped an arm around his shoulder, only pulling him in closer when Link leaned into the touch. They walked out of the shop and made their way back to the Domain; but of course, as with Mipha, a few people stopped them to talk. The Hylian did not pay attention at all to any of these conversations, but feeling safe in Sidon’s embrace, he smiled the entire time anyway.

Eventually, they made their way past a booth where a Hylian vendor stood, beckoning them over with a smile that was just a little too wide. Link looked askance at him, not exactly recalling seeing him the last time they had gone to the market. But, being a Prince, Sidon approached him anyway, immediately jumping into polite conversation with the man.

Link didn’t even try to pretend that he was listening to their conversation — the vendor had a strange aura to him, so instead, the Hylian busied himself by examining his wares. The man’s booth was filled with masks, strangely out of place banal items, and a selection of jewelry; some of which he recognized as Isha’s work from Gerudo Town.

“[…] really?” A polite laugh left the Prince. “That is wonderful! You know […]”

The vendor rubbed his hands imperiously. “[…] yes. […] I do think you would like it there, Prince Sidon […]”

Link furrowed his eyebrows slightly, looking at the man from out of the corners of his eyes. That was strange; he didn’t recognize his accent. The Hylian had been everywhere, yet he couldn’t even _begin_ to guess where the man came from.

“[…] might I interest you in purchasing some jewelry, Prince Sidon? […] you do seem to wear lots of it […]”

Sidon stiffened slightly. “W-well, I suppose […] thank you, but […]”

The vendor’s voice continued to drone on as he motioned towards various items, but only one in particular made the Hylian’s breath hitch. Rays of sunlight caught on a ruby amulet, glimmering and winking with its profound elegance at him. A cold shiver shot down his spine, and without even thinking, he picked it up and brought it closer to his face.

“I am quite […] about those masks of yours. I do not believe I have ever […]” Sidon spoke over the vendor’s monologue.

“[…] very special indeed… I spent years collecting them […] of course, […]”

Link squinted; there was nothing particularly special about the necklace, it admittedly had a rather simple design. A sensation of uneasiness continued to prick at him though, so, following his gut, he turned the amulet around. Sure enough, finely etched into the plating, were the words:  _ joie de vivre. _

__

“Are you planning on buying that, sir?”

Link jolted, torn from his thoughts as he snapped his head to look up. The Hylian vendor was  _ still  _ smiling.

“Oh, no. Sorry.” Something akin to anger flickered across the man’s face, the sight of it alone making Link swallow thickly. “B-but… um… do you know what this says?”

The Hylian tentatively handed the amulet back to the vendor, whose smile seemed more genuine now that he had it back. Link could sense Sidon staring down at him, but he did not meet his gaze; he kept his focus on the vendor examining the necklace.

“Ah, yes… joie de vivre.” The man gently placed the amulet back where Link had gotten it, meeting his eyes with that same offputting smile. “Joy of living.”

_ Joy of living…?  _ Link’s eyes flickered back to the amulet, a cruel mimicry of his dream.

_ Why do you seek a future? _

He scowled. The Hylian looked back up at the vendor, nodded once in thanks, and pointedly turned on his heel to walk away. The Prince’s voice was rushed as he dismissed himself from the man, but Link had barely even heard it; his thoughts were elsewhere. That wolf… one glowing red eye, a golden coat — it all felt too familiar for it to have just been fortuity. There was  _ something  _ there, he could  _ feel  _ it—

“What are you thinking about?”

The Prince had somehow managed to sneak up on him, so at the sound of his voice, the Hylian jerked violently. Sidon had to throw out his hands to steady him, the Zora’s eyes watching him curiously with an underlying current of concern.

“Um… just about something from earlier.”

“Oh?”

That had only piqued the Zora’s interest even more, and Link mentally cursed, searching for anything to change the topic to. He didn’t want Sidon to know about all this, at least not yet. He needed more answers first.

Suddenly, a wide grin grew on Link’s face, followed closely by a cocked eyebrow. 

“Were you really miserable before I came to visit you?”

The Prince blinked at him before turning bright teal, his mouth opening and closing with nothing coming out. Link raised his eyebrows, a part of him surprised, another part of him overbearingly curious.

_ “Really?”  _ The Prince’s cheeks puffed out at the incredulity in his voice. “Like, actually?”

The Zora’s gills flared as he kicked at the ground lightly, blushing even harder. Perhaps just for the sake of solidarity, the Hylian’s own face began to feel warm, too.

“... Yes?”

After a stretch of silence, the Prince finally looked over at him, guilt written all over his face.

“Aw… Sidon.” Link couldn’t help it; his lips quirked. “Did you really miss me that much before I came to the Domain?”

“I…” The Zora blushed harder. “… yes. Yes, I did. I-is that… is that wrong?”

Link opened his mouth to reply, but his mind went blank. Logically, it was natural that the Prince would have at least missed him a little bit — considering how much he considered him his  _ dearest  _ friend. Despite that reasoning, his stomach fluttered wildly at the implications anyway. Sidon had missed him.

_ Sidon had missed him. _

The Hylian searched his face for anything that would indicate that the Zora was just joking, but to his demise, he found nothing of the sort. Link swallowed thickly, words resting on the tip of his tongue, a confession that was  _ burning  _ to make itself known. No.  _ No. _

It was too much. He shoved at the hope rising in his chest, stomping all over it before it could get out of control. Sidon had  _ only  _ missed him. That was normal — it was normal to miss a friend.

Something in the back of his mind pummeled against those thoughts, taunts of  _ to miss a friend that much isn’t normal  _ and  _ there’s something he’s not telling you, just  _ ask _ you coward! _

But he did not. Link did not ask. He did not let any of those notions pass through the haze he was so desperately trying to keep. Instead, the Hylian merely gave him a small smile.

“It’s not wrong,” Link assured. “I… I missed you too. I missed you a lot.”

Five words — five words that hid everything he wanted to say, concealed behind a mask of shame. He wasn’t  _ lying,  _ but his feelings for the Zora remained a heavy weight on his ribcage.

Link’s response prompted Sidon’s expression to melt into a calmer one, his tail twitching lightly behind him as he beamed. Before the Hylian could let his thoughts concentrate on  _ that  _ instead, he pointedly tugged at the Prince’s hands and walked backward.

“Come on.” He grinned. “We can’t let King Dorephan wait for that document all day.”

With that, the Prince let the Hylian lead them back to the Domain, and if he noticed that Link was walking faster than normal, he didn’t say anything about it. After a bit of coaxing, the Zora began to explain the details of the meeting to the Hylian, gesturing vaguely as they stepped off the bridge.

“— and of course, the elders were being  _ absolutely  _ unbearable—”

“Master Link! Wait!”

The sudden holler made both of them jump, and the Hylian spun on his heel, raising his eyebrows at the sight. A man with a large box in his hands was struggling in his armor to run up to them. Link instinctively put an arm up in front of the Prince, ready to defend him if anything went wrong. As the man got closer, however, the Hylian dropped his arm, having finally recognized the Royal Knight armor.

“Hey,” The Knight winked at him, trying to hide how heavily he was panting. “Looks like I finally caught you without a bomb in your hands, eh? Hope you haven’t been setting off entire armories over here.”

Sidon huffed. “Excuse me—”

But Link accidentally cut him off with a guffaw, crossing his arms across his chest as he cocked an eyebrow at the man.

“Oh, please.” He rolled his eyes. “As if you didn’t help me out with that,  _ Travis.” _

The Prince sputtered awkwardly beside him, and out of his periphery, Link could see the Zora’s eyes darting confoundedly between the two of them.

“Plausible deniability, Hero.” Travis grinned. “Oldest trick in the book.”

Link smiled toothily. “So… what’re you even—”

“And who might  _ you _ be?” Sidon’s voice rang in a sharp, authoritative tone, enough to make the two Hylians still and look over at him.

Link’s eyebrows shot up as he did a once over of the Prince. The Zora had a hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his chest was puffed out to give himself more space to fill, and his eyes were narrowed suspiciously at the Knight in front of them. The Hylian glanced back over to said Knight, who currently looked shocked, and a little bit scared.

His gaze falling back to the Prince, Link was unable to help his smirk at his towering, strong, and intimidating figure.

Oh, Sidon looked  _ good _ like this.

“O-oh, um… Prince Sidon, right? I—” The Knight stuttered, flushing. “I am—”

Link stepped in between them and locked eyes with the Zora, despite knowing full well that both men were taller than him, and could still easily see each other. The tense energy in the air eased slightly, and the Hylian put on an expression that he hoped was as comforting as he was trying to come across.

“Sidon, he’s a Royal Knight from the castle. It’s okay.”

“Y-yes! Exactly! I am, sir!” Travis supplied behind him.

The Zora’s eyes only narrowed more. “But what if he is an imposter, Link? We cannot just—”

“Sweetheart, I  _ promise _ he’s harmless.” Link pointedly decided to ignore the way Sidon’s expression softened at the pet name, and he also pointedly decided to ignore the offended  _ hey! _ Travis scoffed out. “Besides,” he gestured vaguely behind him. “I know him. He’s not an imposter.”

With one final glance at the man in front of them, the Prince released his hold on his sword, the metal clinking against his belt as it swayed back into place. Link smiled at him before turning around again.

“Travis,” He started.

“Yes, Master Link?”

Link cocked an amused eyebrow at him. “Are you actually here for something, or did you just miss me so much you had to come visit me?”

_ “Ha! _ Don’t flatter yourself.” The Knight scoffed and rolled his eyes; Link grinned widely. “This package is for you — from Princess Zelda.”

Travis pointedly held out the parcel in his hands, and Link noted the way his feeble arms trembled under the weight. He accepted it with ease.

“Oh. Thanks.” He tilted his head at the envelope on top, which was decorated with Zelda’s handwriting, before looking back up at the Knight. “... By the way, how did you even  _ get  _ here?”

The Knight blushed. “By… horse.”

“If you traveled by horse, then why are you out of breath?”

“Um, well—” Travis stammered. “I was unable to find you, and no one knew where you were, so I kind of just… ran around the Domain for a bit…”

Link hummed.

“I  _ would  _ say sorry, but I’m really not.” He mused and looked down at the package, trying to figure out what it was. “Thank you for coming all this way, and please give Zelda my thanks.”

The Knight nodded, rocking slightly on his feet in front of them, eyes darting towards the main bridge. With an amused sigh, Link remembered his “manners.”

“You are dismissed, Travis.”

“Thank you, Master Link.” He drawled, smiled, and saluted him before walking off. 

Not even bothering to see Travis off, Link turned around to walk towards the palace as Sidon trailed behind him. Several guards had approached them, and with a shake of his head, they all relaxed and walked back to their posts. The Hylian noted that Bazz wasn’t around, which was strange — the captain was probably at a training session.

“You referred to him — the Knight — by name.” The Prince pointed out as they walked up the steps.

The Hylian side-eyed him amusedly. “I did, yeah.”

“How do you… how are you acquainted with him?”

They stopped right outside the towering doors, far enough that the guards below couldn't hear their conversation. Link looked up at him, grinning widely.

“Not to rub it in your face,  _ Prince Sidon, _ but you kind of sound a little jealous there.”

“N-No I am not!” The Zora defended, quick to clear his throat, and even his voice. “Of course not. Why would I be jealous? There is nothing to be jealous about. It is not like he is worthy of being jealous of, or anything.” He hesitated, before adding, “I am  _ not  _ jealous.”

“Really, now?” Link mused, walking through the doors, “Then I suppose you wouldn’t care if I told you I thought he was cute.”

Sidon’s response came so quick it practically cut him off. “You  _ what? _ … Really?”

The Hylian looked over at him, meeting a gaze teeming with many emotions, the most notable one being stilted. Link wasn’t sure what came over him but seeing the Prince like that made a flood of pride well in his chest; he winked and smiled. 

“Calm down. I’m just joking, Sidon.” 

A deflated “Oh,” left the Prince as they continued making their way down the halls. “Why, of course. Pfft. I knew that.”

The smile remained on Link’s face, the weight of the package in his hands keeping him grounded. It was selfish, but it was pleasing to know that Sidon had reacted like that to the Knight. 

“After I defeated Calamity Ganon, Zelda wanted to build up the Royal Knights and Guards again. She asked me if I could train them in between the other missions she had sent me on.” The Hylian explained and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “They have a captain, now, but I did help out a little, at least with the early ones.” 

_ “Wow…”  _ Sidon said, his voice breathy and effulgent. “Absolutely incredible!”

Link looked up at him curiously and cocked his head. The Prince was grinning widely, tail wagging wildly behind him. 

“You truly are extraordinary, Link! And so immensely talented! To be able to go on so many grueling missions around Hyrule and  _ still  _ take the time to train others!” 

The Hylian felt the tips of his ears start to burn at the praise. He fiddled awkwardly with the parcel.

“Oh… um… th-thanks… it’s nothing, really—”

_ “Nonsense!” _ His energy was just as enthusiastic as any other who praised him, but the difference was, when it came from Sidon, Link found he didn’t mind at all. Instead of a grimace, a smile tugged at his lips. “It is a remarkable feat! I am honored to call you my dearest friend!” 

The Hylian blushed harder, grin almost as wide as Sidon’s as he nudged him with his elbow. Without another word, the Prince nudged him back, knowing exactly what he was too shy to say. 

They stepped into the hallway lined with windows, a soft and easy silence falling between them. Link glanced back down at the box in his hands, and upon seeing Zelda’s handwriting scrawled across the envelope on top, he pursed his lips as curiosity got the better of him. He stepped to the side and plopped it onto a windowsill nearby, eagerly tearing the wrapping away. As the crumpling of paper filled the air, Sidon chuckled quietly behind him. 

“I assumed you would have wanted to wait until we got to my room.” 

“Yeah, well, you assumed wrong, Your Highness.” Link lilted, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he pulled out a…  _ journal?  _ “I don’t have enough patience for that.” 

The Hylian stared at the leather binding of the book, still notably tough and rigid from the lack of use. He flipped through it, finding that only the first ten pages were even filled out — primarily with diagrams. Pursing his lips, Link dropped the unread journal back into the box before grabbing the letter that had fallen to the side, ripping it open and leaving the envelope with jagged edges.

_ Hello Link, _

_ I have sent you books from the library here — the ones that managed to be salvaged, anyway — that I found information of the legend in. As you can tell, ten books are quite a small selection, but it was unfortunately all I could find. I did begin to do my own research, but with everything I am still trying to manage at the moment, I only had a small period of time to do so. I’ve included the journal that I used — please feel free to write any notes you want to take in it as well.  _

_ At this point, I am sure that you are aware of the Champion Festival at the end of the week. I do plan to attend it, and hopefully, if time allows, I will happily aid you in researching the statue. I would have waited to bring the books to you myself, however, I wanted you to have time to do your own research before I inevitably try to take over. After all, if you’re going to do something as reckless as this, I would rather rest easy knowing that you are not going in blind sighted. _

_ Tell your boyfriend I said hello. _

_ See you soon, _

_ Zelda _

__

Link scrunched his nose at the letter as if Zelda were there herself. He stared at it for a few more seconds before placing it to the side, switching his focus back to the package. Sure enough, ten books were stacked neatly inside, and the sight of them alone was enough to make him exhale sharply — they were just harbingers of migraines and frustration.

“What is it?” Sidon asked, making the Hylian jump and bite back a gasp. 

Sparing a glance back, the Prince was standing very close to him, and was currently peering over his shoulder. Link blushed, tearing his gaze away and hoping that Sidon hadn’t seen. 

“Zelda sent me what she could find in the castle about the um— the true ‘statue’ of Hylia.” He explained, gesturing vaguely. “Research, basically.”

The Zora Prince hummed in acknowledgment, reaching around him to pull the box closer. Link tried very, very hard to ignore the way his muscular arm pressed against his. 

“I am sorry our library could not be of more help.” He mumbled quietly. “But at least this is a step in… well,  _ some  _ sort of direction.” 

Link gave him a quick smile, thoughts elsewhere as he put everything back into the box. 

_ Why do you seek a future? _

He flinched as the voice echoed in his head, as clear and resounding as it was in his dream. The Hylian chewed at his lip for a bit as he tapped his fingers rhythmically against the cardboard, before decidedly turning around and looking up at the Prince. Sidon blushed and took a step back, averting his eyes as he fumbled. 

“U-um… my apologies, Link, I did not mean to get so close—” 

Link cocked an eyebrow, waving dismissively. “What? No — you’re  _ fine _ , I just… Sidon I’m sorry to ask this, but is it okay if we take a raincheck on that walk?”

The Prince stilled, taking a second to process his words before smiling. “Of course, Link. Are you going to…?” He gestured towards the books, and the Hylian nodded dejectedly. 

“Yeah, I should. As much as I don’t want to, they’re not going to read themselves.” He sighed. “Will you be okay alone for a few hours?”

“Yes, I will. I have some documents I have to catch up on, anyway, so do not worry about me, my dear… um—” Sidon blushed, quickly adding on, “— friend. Take all the time you need. Please, do not hesitate to ask if you need help.”

The Zora brushed his hand on his shoulder before pulling away, smiling as Link picked up the package again. The Hylian started to walk to the library, but once he reached the end of the hall, he glanced back, only to see Sidon at the other end looking at him, too. A smile spread across his face as the Prince grinned widely and waved at him. Link returned the wave before they both disappeared around their respective corners. 

Link walked until he reached the towering doors of the library, which softly creaked as he pushed them open. He stepped in, slowly closing the doors behind him with his back. It seemed as if no one else was in there, which was more than fine by him. If the Hylian were going to have to concentrate on this research, he would rather do it in peace — although a part of him wished he had asked Sidon to join him.

The sunlight filtered in through the windows, hitting every desk, bookshelf, and book, adding a serene air that managed to calm his nerves, even just a little. Link walked down the aisles, the sound of his footsteps echoing quietly as he made his way to a table on the far right, by a window. The package made a loud  _ thump!  _ when the Hylian set it down; he slid into his seat, and with a heavy sigh, carefully took every book out.

The books were thick, no doubt chock-full of information that only a quarter of was useful to him. He singled out Zelda’s journal, figuring that that would be the best place to start. The Princess was true to her word — she had pages full of diagrams, charts, notes in bullet points, and notes in paragraphs of everything she had managed to find.

Admittedly, it wasn’t much. From what Link could tell, she had been able to narrow down the location of the statue in an area near Lake Hylia. She had several charts trying to figure out what the trials could be, most of them crossed out. Next to the phrase _spread your wings,_ she had question marks and arrows pointing outward, to _Rito,_ _local birds_ , and _paraglider._

But — that was it.

He tapped his fingernails on the table, narrowing his eyes at the grain and hissed under his breath. With an eventual resigned sigh, he grabbed the book at the top of the stack, labeled  _ The Goddess of Hyrule and Her Blessings,  _ pulled Zelda’s journal and the quill on the desk closer, and began to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another shout out to my beta [amy](https://harmonicallychaos.tumblr.com/) because she's so amazing and wonderful and i love her
> 
> i already have chapter 9/the second half of this chapter written, so its going up soon! also, classes just started again so my schedule might be wack for a few months.. i'm so sorry shkJKDSH
> 
> thank you thank you thank you to everyone who leaves kudos and comments!! every time i see them it makes my day <33 you're all so so sweet <333 (´,,•ω•,,)
> 
> if you want, follow me on [tumblr](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/)!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shout out to my beta [amy](https://harmonicallychaos.tumblr.com/) for being so wonderful and amazing!!! if you haven't yet, please check out her fic [Link Apologizes to the Zora](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25222978/chapters/61137688)!! its so funny and sweet and beautiful and it's one of my favorite fics right now <3
> 
> btw, here's the design for [link's festival outfit!!!!](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/post/628006504701870080/this-is-links-festival-outfit-for-think-im)

Unintentionally, Link had taken Sidon’s advice to take all the time he needed a little  _ too  _ seriously. He researched for a total of three days before he finally broke. 

The first day, he had only sat down for a few hours before Sidon came by, convincing him to take a break and go to a (very) late lunch. The Hylian’s short-lived zeal prevented him from even  _ thinking  _ about reading again — so he called it a day. The day after that, Link had gotten in roughly the same amount of time, mainly because he went on that walk with the Prince. 

… and yeah, maybe the Hylian  _ had  _ begged Sidon to go on that walk together solely because he needed an excuse to stop. But that was information only privy to him.

Today, however, Link forced himself to go to the library right after breakfast. The Prince had several meetings to go to that day anyway, so it wasn’t like he even had anything better to do. 

This plan, he eventually decided, was a huge mistake. 

Link sighed as he banged his forehead against the desk in front of him. Repeatedly.

He  _ hated  _ researching. It only brought him back to the days after Calamity Ganon was defeated, when Zelda had forced him to assist her in her research for future plans. The visceral reaction he had when just  _ thinking  _ about having to look at a book was so nauseating, it felt innate. Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Princess had made Link, a hundred years ago, do the same thing, too — which would explain how much instinctual dread he had towards it. Just like how when the Hylian woke up he knew how to hold a sword; he woke up knowing that he hated to read. 

It always ended up with Link practically pulling his hair out in frustration, a burning sensation behind his eyes, and an intense throbbing in his skull.

Closing his eyes brought some sense of relief — being free from the swarming letters in his vision. Despite the dimness in the library showing the passage of time (at  _ least  _ four hours), the Hylian hadn’t made much progress.

… At all.

In the book Link just finished reading, it had only spoken of preceding travelers, tales passed down by those who knew the explorers that tried to have a wish granted. Many people returned empty-handed with a myriad of scars, bruises, and injuries that took a supernaturally long time to heal — if at all. Barely anyone was lucky enough to have a wish granted. Supposedly, there were only three people in the recorded history of Hyrule to have succeeded. 

However, many,  _ many _ more people were never heard of again. 

Link let out a bone-deep sigh as he sat up again, letting himself sink into his chair and rest his head on the back of it — muscles strained with the movement, a side effect of having been in the same position for so long. The Hylian dragged his hands down his face and watched the rays of the sun gleam and flicker against the ceiling’s intricate Zora architecture.

Maybe his plan to ask the true statue of Hylia for more time was idiotic, but at least Link  _ had  _ one. The problem was… he hadn’t exactly decided  _ when  _ he planned to go through with it.

The Hylian could always do it after the month was over, when he was on his way back to Hateno and he and Sidon had ‘broken up.’

The thought alone made a flash of pain strike through Link’s chest, and he flailed his hands in the air as if that could have made the idea go away. He didn’t have  _ time _ to think about that, not to mention that there was no reason he should be doing so, anyway. From the beginning, Link knew that there was going to be an end.

The Hylian chewed at his thumb as he pondered over his options. He could probably go back to Hateno, (emotionally) recover from the past month, and then set out. Or he could just start his journey directly after leaving the Domain, and stock up at a stable nearby before going on his way. Link could also make his way to Kakariko village… surely Impa had even  _ a little bit _ of knowledge about all of this—

The sound of doors creaking open cut through his thoughts. Out of instinct, encouraged by his mind having been swarmed with words of  _ survival _ for goddess knows how many hours, the Hylian reached for his sword. Of course, it was to no avail. He had left his sword in the room.

“Link?” A voice whispered loudly, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

He didn’t answer, but as gentle footsteps got closer, he raised his hand. 

‘Hi.’

A soft chuckle sounded in front of Link, and before long a flash of red appeared above him, along with eyes filled with twinkling golden seas that stared right back at him.

“Wow. You look  _ tired.” _ Sidon pointed out.

‘Gee, thanks.’ The Hylian rolled his eyes, a dull ache following the gesture. ‘You sure know how to flatter a man, Prince Sidon.’

The Prince grinned cheekily at him and opened his mouth, most likely to give another quip, but suddenly his expression faltered and all the teasing in the air faded away. The Zora’s eyes narrowed more as they continued the perusal of Link’s face. The Hylian blinked, and the next thing he knew, he was letting out a strangled  _ ack! _ as Sidon began rubbing his thumb against Link’s cheek. 

“Dear goddess, Link, you have ink splotches _ everywhere!”  _ The Prince scowled slightly as he looked at his hand, resolutely taking his cravat off of its holder and using it instead. It was surprisingly soft. “What by the goddesses were you even  _ doing? _ Were you writing with your face?”

Link scrunched up his nose before sticking out his tongue at the Zora, a familiar warmth flaring in his chest when it made the man laugh. He also meant to comment _ you’re going to ruin that, _ and _ that poor cravat, what did it ever do to you?, _ but frankly, he didn’t feel like it. The Hylian only closed his eyes and leaned into the man’s touch, smiling when the Prince faltered before continuing.

‘And what if I  _ was  _ writing with my face?’ Link sniffed proudly. ‘I’ll have you know it is very effective.’

Sidon chuckled as he switched to his other cheek, his movements significantly slower. “I am sure it was, Link… did you make any progress?” He could hear the smile in his voice.

“Ugh.” The Hylian exhaled heavily. ‘Barely. My head hurts.’

“I would be surprised if it did not. You have been in here for seven hours.”

**_‘Seven?!’_ **

Link jolted up, flinching at the way his vision swirled and rocked at the sudden movement — hands rapidly fell to his shoulders to steady him.  _ ‘Seven hours? _ You know what, I’m done for today. I refuse to look at any more words. My brain feels like it’s going to rot.’

The Hylian set out on a mission to put all the books away, in a manner many would refer to as ‘shoving everything back into the box with reckless abandon’. He quickly realized, however, that there was a  _ reason  _ Zelda had placed everything so neatly in the parcel; Link let out disgruntled hisses as he tried to maneuver everything to fit. After a minute of haphazard blundering, the Zora — who had just been standing there, watching him amusedly — finally took mercy on him. Sidon gently pulled his hands away and calmly took everything out of the box, organizing everything back in so that it fit neatly. 

‘Oh, Sidon. What would I ever do without you?’ Link teased as he stifled a yawn. 

The Prince snorted before going on to pack up the rest of his things, not even asking if he wanted him to or not. His tail twitched occasionally behind him, and Link stared at it curiously, tilting his head and smiling.

_ Cute. _

“It is almost dinnertime, my dear friend.” The Hylian looked up at him, giving him a graceless grin as the Prince closed the box. “Are you going to be able to make it through without sleeping in your food?”

Link scowled at him — as much as tired muscles could scowl, anyway — and shoved at his arm. Sidon chuckled breathily. 

‘Don’t be  _ rude.’ _

“You look like you are about to fall asleep at any second, Link.” He smiled. “I am asking because I can always get our food taken to our room. It will not be a problem at all, if that is what you want.” 

The Hylian stilled and blinked at him, words fading to a soft buzz. Our room.

**_Our_ ** _ room. _

The thought alone invited a soft warmth to tickle his cheeks. To distract himself from it, Link giggled and overdramatically batted his eyes at the Zora — Sidon stilled and met his gaze quizzically. But when realization finally dawned on him, it was graciously accompanied with a deep flush of teal. The Hylian was already snickering before the Prince even opened his mouth to protest.

“I-I mean — I meant—” He stammered. “I — w-well—”

“Aw!” The Hylian crooned. ‘Sidon that’s  _ so  _ romantic.’

The Prince sputtered above him before scowling, the expression clearly betrayed by his smile. “Oh, stop it, Link.”

‘Stop what? I mean it — that’s really sweet. Maybe you should just ask me to actually be your boyfriend if you’re going to keep saying stuff like that.’ 

The Zora blinked at him before blushing harder and averting his eyes. The reaction made Link’s face burn, and he got out of his tired haze enough to want to sink into the floor and disappear forever. What the hell was he  _ saying?!  _

“Um…” Sidon cleared his throat before looking back at him, a flush of teal still brushed high across his cheekbones. “Right. S-so… would you like to have dinner now…? Or later?”

The Hylian opened his mouth, but broke out into a long yawn that made tears roll down his face. He looked back up at the Prince, smiling tiredly as he rubbed at his eyes.

‘I… kind of want to take a nap.’

Sidon nodded. “I will go make a request for our food, then. Can you make it back to the room on your own?”

Link scoffed and rolled his eyes. ‘I’m not a child, Sidon. Of course I can.’

The Prince blinked at him expectantly. Link shot up to his feet,  _ humph!ing _ triumphantly before suddenly losing his balance, legs wobbly after hours of sitting down. The Hylian hissed as he caught himself on the table with a loud  _ thunk!, _ steadied himself, and did a maladroit turn to flash the Zora a grin. Which then morphed into another yawn. 

‘I got this.’ He lied.

Sidon smiled fondly at him before squatting, close enough that Link’s first thought was the memory of the man’s lips pressing against his. All of that hurtled away, however, when an arm slid behind his knees and another wrapped around his back.

“Uh —  _ hello?! _ S-Sidon, what do you think you’re—” He was cut off by an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp when he was picked up by the Zora, who had the nerve to chuckle at his subsequent stammering.  _ “E-excuse me!” _

“You are excused.” The Prince hummed as he picked up the package and put it into the Hylian’s arms, all without letting him go.

Link blushed furiously, knowing full well that it wasn’t just from the embarrassment of being so easy to pick up  _ (that _ was a hit to his ego). Goddess, Sidon was so strong, and feeling the Prince’s muscles rippling against him was not helping him calm down at all.

He cringed internally.  _ Talk about thirsty. _

While Link was going through his internal turmoil, the Zora had already begun to carry him out of the library. The Hylian’s face stained crimson as he finally let himself relax against the Prince. Despite his show of protest, Link would be lying if he said he had never dreamt about being carried by Sidon, and having it happen  _ now,  _ well… he wasn’t going to complain.

In an attempt to distract himself, he lightly tapped on the Zora’s pecs, heart skipping a beat when Sidon looked at him. Link averted his eyes, shoving away selfish thoughts about how close Sidon was and how  _ easy  _ it would be to kiss him like this.

‘You didn’t have to carry me.’ 

The Zora let out an amused huff and tightened his grasp around him. “I know.” He mumbled, lips quirking into a smile when the Hylian met his gaze. “But I wanted to.”

The warmth of the Prince’s body, limited as it was, was starting to make Link feel drowsy. 

‘You didn’t  _ ask  _ me if I wanted to be carried.’ He pointed out.

Sidon chuckled.

“Do you  _ want  _ to walk?” The Prince pointedly looked straight ahead to the rest of the dauntingly long hallway. Link wasn’t going to lie; it struck fear into his heart. “Because if you do, I will put you down.”

The Hylian pouted as he looked away. Instead of answering, he let himself rest his head on the man’s shoulder, which was apparently all the Prince needed to hum triumphantly. 

‘I could pick  _ you  _ up, you know.’ He sniffed.

“Yes, Link, I’m sure you could.”

It was said with a slight tease in his voice; Link squinted archly at him and huffed. He nuzzled his head into the crook of Sidon’s neck and yawned, eyes heavy with sleep, as he was coaxed to let them slide shut. If Zelda had been there, she would have teased the Hylian for being so tired after  _ only  _ seven hours of research. Because that woman worked harder than Hylia herself.

Link smiled gently at the thought, already starting to nod off. He was barely even conscious enough to notice when Sidon stopped, his voice a soft drone in his head; something about  _ food to my room, please.  _ And then, the next thing the Hylian knew, a comforter was gingerly being pulled over him. 

Grumbling quietly, he reached out until his hand landed on top of the Zora’s, squeezing it softly.

“Stay with me, Sidon.” He whispered, forcing his eyes open to look over his shoulder.

The Prince blinked at him, face slowly going teal as he processed what the Hylian had just said. Link momentarily thought back to their first night in the Domain, when he had said those same exact words to him. Those words were what had made the sensation of being held in Sidon’s arms become second nature. Those words were  _ also _ what had screwed him over —  _ it had made the sensation of being held in Sidon’s arms second nature. _

Another beat of silence, and the Zora nodded as he quietly slipped into the bed. Link shifted to face him, giving in to his drowsiness — closing his eyes so he could blindly scoot closer. 

“I thought you wanted me to be in the pool from now on,” Sidon mumbled. He wrapped his arms around the Hylian, one hand making itself busy by running through his hair. His claws lightly massaged his scalp, and the sensation only made the pull of sleep that much more enticing. 

“Yeah but… I want you close...” At this point, Link was already half asleep, so he did not, and  _ could not, _ process the traitorous words pouring out of his mouth. “... I like it when you hold me.” 

The Prince stiffened slightly, but the Hylian was much too tired to think twice about it. Had he been more awake, Link would have turned beet red and would have probably jumped off the balcony, never to be seen again.

“... And I… I like it when I hold you.” Sidon mumbled back, and all Link could respond with was a weak  _ yay. _ A soft chuckle, and then, a delicate voice whispered to him, 

“Go to sleep, my pearl.”

Unfortunately, Link had  _ already  _ fallen asleep. Which is why he didn’t get to feel the press of loving lips against his temple, lingering and yearning. 

Which is  _ also  _ why he didn’t get to hear the accompanying quiet utterance of,

“… I love you, Link.”

* * *

When Link came back to, he felt more rejuvenated than when he had woken up in the Shrine of Resurrection. A broad hand rubbed small circles into his back, while another hand ran through his hair. Any and all hebetude that had clung to the Hylian earlier was no longer present, replaced instead with a gentleness that came from being sleepy — not tired. Still, Link yawned, and the noise made the hands stop in their motions, joined with a small, amused exhale.

“You’re awake.” The voice rumbled in the Zora’s chest, sending pleasant vibrations against his skin.

“Maybe so.” The Hylian hummed back, smile painfully obvious in his voice, even to  _ him. _ He was still much too early in the process of waking up to even think about dialing it back, though.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah… I feel a lot better.” Link pulled backed enough so that Sidon could see his hands, shyly blushing at the warmth in the Prince’s gaze. ‘How long was I out for?’

The Zora lifted his head slightly to look out the window, before dropping it back on the bed. “About two hours and a half. Give or take.”

“Wh—”

Link frowned before completely pulling out of his arms so he could sit up. ‘Sidon, did you —  _ please _ tell me you went to dinner.’

The Zora blinked at him. “… I… went to dinner…?”

A smile tugged at the Hylian’s lips, betraying his attempt to scold him. ‘Are you lying to me?’

“You just told me to tell you I went to dinner.”

‘Sidon, I—’ Link laughed quietly as he ducked his head. ‘Okay, fine, that’s on me. Sidon,  _ did _ you go to dinner?’

“No...? Was I…?” The Prince frowned. “Was I supposed to?”

The Hylian held his gaze, seeing more confusion seep into the Zora’s expression the longer the silence stretched. He sighed softly, cursing Hylia for making the man too charming to be annoyed at.

‘You should have gone to dinner. I’m sure Mipha and King Dorephan missed you.’

Sidon pursed his lips. “But I did not… I did not want to leave you all alone.”

Link smiled as something in his chest fluttered, unable to help the tenderness in his gaze.

‘I would have been fine being alone for two hours, Sidon.’

“I am aware, but…” The Zora blushed and averted his eyes, shifting so he was leaning on his elbow. “Why would I choose to have dinner without you?”

The Hylian was glad Sidon had looked away because the heat that had taken over his face was borderline  _ unbearable. _ He chewed at his cheek, shoving thoughts away that were looking too hard into what the Zora just said. He didn’t  _ mean  _ anything by those words, and frankly, Link was frustrated with himself for even daring to think about it. When was he going to learn to stop looking for what  _ he  _ wanted to see?

Wanting to take his mind off, well, _ that, _ the Hylian searched the room, eyes almost immediately falling onto two silver platters on a table nearby. His stomach rumbled loudly at the sight, and he blushed as Sidon laughed breathily beside him. Link turned to look at him, grinning shyly as he watched a fresh flush of teal wash over the Zora’s face.

‘Thank you. For — for wanting to wait for me. But… can we have dinner now? I’m starving.’

The Prince smiled before sitting up, pushing himself off the bed and onto his feet. Link watched as Sidon scrutinized the wrinkles in his sash and the splotches of ink on his cravat before turning his attention back to him.

“Of course. Where would you like to eat?”

Link hummed, tapping his chin in thought.

‘What about… the balcony?’

The Zora stilled, an amused glint taking over his eyes once he went to grab both of the platters. “The balcony? Interesting choice, I must admit. But your wish is my command, Link.”

The Hylian huffed, a new warmth taking over his face as he walked ahead to the double doors and opened them. Once Sidon stepped through, Link closed them, embracing the crisp, cool air with a euphoric sigh.

“Would you like some pillows to sit on?”

He scrunched up his nose and shook his head, before plopping down at one of the corners of the railing. The Prince smiled softly as Link took his platter, before elegantly sitting down next to him. They sat close enough that they brushed against each other with every movement, but neither tried to give more space to the other.

Lifting the lid off of his platter revealed a mushroom omelet with rice, and on the side, a soup bowl. As Link took the container into his hands, Sidon let out a curious  _ huh _ beside him. He snapped his fingers quietly, waiting for the Prince to look over at him to sign.

‘What is that?’

The Zora held a card in his hands, neat cursive script sprawled across it. “Apparently, the soup was made especially for us at the request of my father. Er…”

As a flush of teal brushed against Sidon’s cheeks, Link furrowed his eyebrows, taking the lid off of the bowl to see for himself. And  _ boy, oh boy.  _

Almost immediately, he began to blush, too.

In the bowl, there was a slice of a big hearty radish, with perfectly round voltfruit and hydromelon balls, all floating in a pink soup. The sight gave the Hylian flashbacks to Gerudo Town, specifically, Ashai and all her classes on dealing with  _ voes. _ Link bit back an embarrassed groan as he vaguely remembered being splayed over one of the couches at The Noble Canteen, drunk out of his mind with all of his friends. They had all been sitting around him, captivated by the Hylian’s stories of a…  _ certain  _ Zora Prince.

The memory of Ashai and everyone else trying to convince him — and even threatening him, at one point — to make the dish for the Prince made Link snort despite himself. He wondered how they would all react knowing he was going to have creamy heart soup with Sidon after all.

Briefly, the Hylian wondered how the hell King Dorephan even  _ knew _ about the soup, given that the Domain was all the way on the other side of Hyrule. Ultimately, he decided it was not important at the moment.

“You know, Sidon,” Link started, staring at the bowl in his hands before placing it back down. “I think your father is more invested in our relationship than we are.”

The Prince chuckled breathily beside him, putting the card down in front of them, angled as if he didn’t want him to see its contents. The Hylian, however, was very nosy and couldn’t help but look, trying to appear focused on eating his omelet as he read.

__

_ Prince Sidon, _

__

_ At your request, we have provided you dinner for the night so you may dine with your Link privately. You may notice that there is an extra entrée included with your meal. King Dorephan asked us specifically to prepare this for you. It is a Gerudo dish, known for enhancing emotions between two people who enjoy the soup together. Please do indulge in the dish with your beloved after the mushroom omelet and rice. The candles we provided for you should greatly add to the ardor of your night. _

__

_ Best wishes, _

_ Chef Ravacan _

__

_ (P.S. King Dorephan has asked me to tell you not to be late for your meeting in the morning.) _

_ (P.P.S. King Dorephan has also asked me to inform you that Hylian bodies are incredibly— _

Before Link could read the rest of it, Sidon stammered wildly as he snatched it off the floor, eyes wide and face a deep teal. Link cocked an eyebrow at him, a wide grin growing as the Prince flailed about, desperately trying to find a place to hide the letter. Abruptly, he froze before throwing it through the bars of the railing — the Hylian watched amusedly as the letter flitted down into the water below. 

“Aw,” He drawled, giggling at the Zora’s panicked expression directed at him. ‘You didn’t have to do all  _ that.’ _

“H-how much—” Sidon’s voice came out uncharacteristically high pitched. “How much of that did you r-read?”

He hummed, taking a bite with omelet and rice. ‘I got to  _ ‘Hylian bodies are incredibly,’ _ and then you, very rudely I might add, threw it away.’

The Prince let out a surprisingly loud sigh of relief, hiding his face in his hands as he slumped where he sat and muttered out a distressed  _ thank you, Hylia _ under his breath. Link pursed his lips at that, but judging by how teal Sidon was, he should probably consider himself lucky for not having read the rest of it. 

_ Although… _

“Sidon?” 

The Zora let out a disgruntled groan before looking at the Hylian through his fingers. 

‘Chef Ravacan said he provided you candles.’ Link pointedly looked around; his lips quirked. ‘Call me blind, but I don’t see any candles.’

The Prince blushed impossibly harder.

“D-Do… do you want me to — to get the candles?” He asked, incredulously. 

Link shrugged and smiled. ‘I mean, what else are you going to do with them? Might as well use them, right?’ 

Sidon blinked at him, expression still curious, as he nodded before getting up, silently slipping back into the room. Link took the opportunity to take a few more bites of his food until the door opened again. The Prince stepped out onto the balcony with an ornate, silver candelabra in his hands, its four candles already lit. Carefully, the Zora placed it in front of them and took his seat beside the Hylian, maintaining the same intimate proximity as earlier. Link offered him a smile, which Sidon returned with ease.

As they ate, Link looked through the railings to the Domain below. A flock of birds flew by, a series of melodic chirps following them as they faded off into the night. Sunset fireflies flickered in the distance, dancing with each other to the soft rhythm of the river babbling below them. Decorations for the festival had already begun; lines of tents were being assembled, and beautiful, handmade ornaments hung along the scattered columns throughout. These were accompanied with festoon lights, made with lanterns similar to those found in Hylian villages. 

It was beautiful. 

The press of the Zora’s body against Link’s side was warm and comforting, allowing him to feel every movement Sidon made; subconsciously, his lips quirked. 

“I like it here.” The Hylian blurted out, surprising even himself. “Um… it… Hateno doesn’t get like this. It’s… different.”

“Different how?” 

Link glanced over at him. The Zora tilted his head at him, a subtle pride behind his gaze. Oh, right — he liked it when the Hylian praised the Domain about something, no matter how small. Knowing that Link had been all over Hyrule yet still had something to extol his home for only increased Sidon’s admiration and reverence for it. The Hylian made a mental note to compliment the Domain more.

He averted his eyes to look towards a line of trees in the distance.

‘A lot more peaceful.’ He glanced at him with a haughty expression.  _ ‘Especially  _ ever since I helped clear out all the monsters in the area.’

The Prince smiled. “Yes, I am still indebted to you for everything you have done for me — for  _ us. _ I cannot ever thank you enough, Link.”

The Hylian took another bite of his omelet. ‘I don’t know, I think being able to date the Zora Prince is paying back for everything just fine.’

He gave him a jaunty smirk, and the Zora flushed teal, snorted, and continued to eat as an easy silence settled between them again. As Link took the final bites of his meal, he couldn’t help but think back to how everything was before Sidon had asked him for this favor. 

They had only ever had a private meal together once. The Hylian had recounted stories of going around Hyrule and clearing the land of monsters for good, now that the blood moon had perished. The Prince had listened to him so enthusiastically, his tail wagging behind him as he chewed on dried fish. Link smiled at the memory.

It was friendly. They were _ friends. _

They still  _ are _ friends, but back then, Link didn’t know what it felt like to be held by him through the night. He didn’t know how it felt to have the weight of the Prince’s arm around his shoulders. Link didn’t know how soft those lips were, how  _ gentle _ and  _ breathtaking  _ they were when they pressed against his. He had only ever dreamed. The Hylian didn’t ever really let himself indulge in these thoughts — a selfish fear always managed to overtake him whenever he did. However, lately… 

Lately, there was something flaring at Link from the back of his mind with every touch from the Zora. Similar to when he entered a shrine and felt the soft thrum of magic in the air, there was  _ something  _ there, trying to reach him. Thoughts of  _ what if—  _

“Link?” Sidon’s voice jutted through his thoughts, and he ducked into view, looking concerned. “If you do not want to eat the soup, no one is forcing you to, I promise.”

The Hylian blinked at him before blushing furiously, looking down at the bowl on his platter and then back up at him. The Prince’s lips quirked as he somehow managed to read his expression.

“You were not listening to me at all in the past five minutes, were you?”

‘I’m— I’m so sorry—’ He noted the spoon in Sidon’s hand, the bowl of soup in the other. ‘Y-Yeah I’ll eat it. Sorry, I zoned out.’

Grabbing the bowl, the Hylian took the lid off and reached for his spoon, stirring the contents a bit.

“Sh-shall we take the first bite together…?” Sidon asked, pointedly not making eye contact with him.

Out of his periphery, Link watched those red hands tremble slightly with an overwhelming amount of curiosity. Without even thinking, the Hylian smiled before putting a hand on the Prince’s knee, where it pressed against his own. Intimate, yet far from the most intimate touch they’ve shared. 

“Sidon,” The Hylian started, moving a bit so he knew he was at least where Sidon could see him. He gave him a small smile. “Like you said, no one is forcing us to do this. If it makes you too nervous, we can just dump this out—”

**_“No!”_ ** The Zora blurted out — Link startled a bit, and the Prince’s eyes widened as if he had surprised himself, too. “I-I mean—! I would like to, I do! I just—” 

Exhaling shakily, he met the Hylian’s gaze almost desperately. 

“I am… w-worried of… embarrassing myself.” 

“Embarrassing yourself?” Link echoed, cocking an eyebrow as one side of his mouth quirked. “Why do you think you would embarrass yourself?”

The Zora blinked at him before sighing quietly and averting his eyes, watching himself fiddle with the edges of the bowl. Link’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. 

“It enhances emotions, does it not? W-well I… I…”

“Sidon, look at me.”

A beat of hesitation passed before the Prince looked back at him, and once he did, Link squeezed his knee lightly.

“I promise you won’t embarrass yourself. If you do something weird, I’ll either just forget it completely, or join in so you’re not alone.” The Hylian grinned. “Sound good?”

The expression on the Zora Prince’s face softened, which Link mentally celebrated. He let his hand slide off of the other’s knee, and without another word, they dipped their spoons into the soup. In tandem, the two put the spoons into their mouths and let the cool liquid settle.

Creamy heart soup always managed to surprise the Hylian, mainly because he always forgot what it tasted like. It was sweet, with a hint of bitterness from the radish, all those flavors dancing wildly along his taste buds. Other than that, though — as far as he could tell — no other emotion had surfaced.

Link looked over at Sidon questioningly, to which he responded to with a shrug. Nothing.

“I am not exactly sure what I expected, but I suppose I am a little relieved that nothing actually came of it.” The Prince mumbled, smiling as he took another bite.

“Aw,” Link drawled playfully. “You say that as if you  _ wanted  _ something to happen.”

When the Zora only responded with a quick, small chuckle, he cocked an eyebrow at him.

“My oh my, _ Prince Sidon!” _ The Hylian teased, elbowing him before taking another bite. “I am flabbergasted! The  _ nerve.” _

A flush of teal colored his cheekbones as he laughed again. “I did not even say anything.”

“You didn’t  _ have  _ to say anything.”

The Prince blinked at him before rolling his eyes with a smile. “I was just curious.”

Link let out a  _ mmhm, _ which Sidon scoffed at, before taking another bite. The sound, soft as it was, still managed to make his entire chest feel warm. The Hylian let himself slump slightly against the Prince’s side, wondering how in the world it was possible for someone to be so  _ comfortable. _ He could feel the Zora stiffen a bit before relaxing and leaning into him too. Restless crickets in the distance filled the silence between them as they continued to eat, and before Link knew it, his bowl was half empty. He frowned at it, as if that would make the soup come back.

“Link?” Sidon’s voice rumbled against him, and the Hylian couldn’t help but smile. He leaned into his side some more.

“Yes?”

“All this… research you have been doing. About the statue, I was wondering if… well, I was wondering if you would be willing to share with me? I know you have been having a difficult time, and I would like to help, if you would let me.”

Link sat up, tilting his head as he looked up at the Zora. “You… you want to help me?”

“W-well—” Sidon blushed. “Of course I do. But if you do not wish to have my assistance, I completely understand—”

The ebullient smile that spread across his face felt so odd, but since it was being directed at the Prince, the Hylian didn’t mind as much as he thought he should.

“Really?! Sidon I — goddess, Sidon, I could  _ kiss  _ you! Thank y—” The Zora’s eyes widened slightly, making Link freeze, and forcing him to process the brazen words that had just poured out of his mouth. As soon as he did, however, the Hylian blushed, laughing nervously as he averted his eyes. “S-sorry, I don’t… I don’t know where that came from, um — I… thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Silence settled between them, and Link chewed at his lip as he fiddled with his thumbs in his lap. He can’t believe he had just said that. Out  _ loud. _

Although, to be fair, they’ve kissed enough times the thought of it didn’t exactly shock him anymore. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly. Was  _ that  _ a problem? That was a problem, right? He shouldn’t be getting used to the idea of kissing him—

“I just nodded.”

The Hylian stilled, frowning in confusion as he looked back up at the Zora. “Wh—”

Sidon’s face turned a bright teal as he cleared his throat. “I uh, I realized you were not looking at me. I nodded. In response to what you said. So I… told you… that I did… um—”

They stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting out into a fit of giggles, Link’s forehead finding a place to rest against the Zora’s bicep.

“Very considerate of you, Prince Sidon.” The Hylian teased, only laughing harder when the Zora let out a weak  _ hey!. _

“You said you were going to forget anything embarrassing I did.” He pouted.

Link hummed, sitting back up and grinning at him. “Forget what?”

“... Thank you.”

The Hylian lifted one shoulder in a shrug, before reaching for his spoon again — it clinked against the ceramic. Link glanced down at the bowl in his hands, surprised at the fact that it was empty.

Huh. When had that happened?

“So…” Sidon cleared his throat, grabbed the empty bowls, and put them back on the platters before pushing them away. They slid noiselessly across the ground. “Um… your research.”

“Oh! Right.” The Hylian crossed his legs, narrowing his eyes as he thought. “Well… to be honest, I haven’t really gotten that far.

The Prince smiled widely. “That is alright. I did not expect any less from you.”

Link scoffed and shoved at his arm.  _ “Hey!” _

“What? I only speak the truth, my dear friend.”

“Don’t you  _ my dear friend _ me! That was  _ rude!” _ The Hylian laughed. The Zora stuck his tongue out at him, which he responded to by scrunching up his nose.

“You were never one for much reading, Link.”

“I cannot believe this  _ slander.” _ He sniffed dramatically. “By my own  _ boyfriend.”  _

The Hylian stilled slightly at the fact that he just referred to Sidon as his boyfriend, but either the Zora didn’t notice, or didn’t care, because the next thing he said was,

“Your boyfriend sounds lovely.”

Link snorted, rolling his eyes as he played along. “He is, but he can be so mean to me sometimes.”

“Well, that is awfully subjective,” Sidon smirked.

“Is it?” The Hylian cocked an eyebrow and smiled at him. “I think it’s pretty objective.”

“Pointing out the fact that I have seen you pick up a book  _ maybe  _ three times since I first saw you is not being cruel.” The Zora hummed, sitting back against the railing. “I am just stating facts.”

Link scoffed. “I pick up books all the time!”

The Prince looked at him, and if he had eyebrows, the Hylian was sure he would've been raising one at him right about now. His incredulous expression did it justice, though.

“But do you  _ read  _ them?”

“Of course I do!”

“When has that ever been your modus operandi?” Sidon was chuckling, and the sound of it was making the Hylian’s stomach flutter wildly — he tried not to focus too much on it.

“Don’t use words I don’t know the meaning of, that’s rude.” Link huffed and crossed his arms. “I’ll have you know, Zelda made me help clean up the library in the castle. Not to toot my own horn, but I picked up  _ a lot _ of books.”

“Really?” 

The Prince leaned in, close enough that the Hylian could feel his breathing against his ear — he shivered, flushing at the proximity. 

“But did you  _ read  _ them?” 

Link turned his head to face him, satisfaction sinking in when doing so made the Zora blush. “I read the titles.”

“That does not count as reading them.” Sidon hummed. 

“Sure it does. I  _ read  _ the titles.” 

“I think your boyfriend would know what reading actually entails, considering the fact that I have to read constantly in order to consummate my duties.”

Link smirked. “Is that the only thing you consummate?”

The smile on Sidon’s face faltered, the Hylian stilled, and a  _ painstakingly  _ long silence followed as they slowly processed what Link had just said. Seemingly at the same time, the two began to blush so hard it was a miracle neither of them fainted.

“O-oh my—” Link’s eyes widened as he stammered and slapped his hand over his mouth; he leaned away from Sidon as much as he could, which was only about five more inches. Not nearly enough. “Oh my goddess. I-I… I don’t — I don’t know why I said that I’m — I am _ so sorry—” _

The Hylian could feel his hand tremble against his lips, heart pounding away in his ears. Nothing was more mortifying than his gaffe than seeing the Prince so stupefied that he opened and closed his mouth, words unsuccessfully coming out.

Sweet goddess Hylia,  _ please  _ end him now.

By this point, the Zora was a deep shade of teal, staring at Link with wide eyes. The candelabra in front of them flickered with the wind, the subsequent light dancing on Sidon’s face only accentuating all of these details. The Hylian is almost positive he matched the Prince’s expression perfectly. The tension in the air was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

“L-Link…?” Sidon finally choked out.

He swallowed audibly, barely even able to hear it over the whirlwind thrum of his heart. “… Yes?”

“I believe… I believe the soup… might have…” The Hylian watched as Sidon’s eyes flickered down to his lips, blushing harder once he realized Link had seen him do so. “… w-worked.”

Link blinked, blushing harder. Oh, right — the soup. He nodded briskly, choking out, “I — I-I think so too.”

They stared at each other, not saying a word, yet the silence was unbearably loud. The Hylian distantly noted how shallow his breaths had gotten, feeling a haze wrap around his thoughts. Subconsciously, his tongue darted out to moisten his lips — the Prince tracked the movement and mirrored it. Link’s lips burned.

“C-can I… can I… Link can I—”

“Can you what?” He whispered, searching the Zora’s face.

Sidon stared at him with dilated pupils, the sight alone practically sending him into a trance. The rush of the river below them mimicked all the emotions hurtling through the Hylian: want, yearning,  _ need.  _

“I…”

“Whatever it is…” Link blushed harder, practically on the verge of begging. “… yes.”

“I…”

The Prince seemed to get closer before he hesitated, squeezing his eyes shut as he ducked his head and let out a sharp exhale. “I-I can’t—I do not… I do not want t-to… to take advantage of you, Link I — I  _ can’t.” _

“Sidon.” The Hylian whispered, reflexively reaching out to grab his wrist. “Y-You’re not… you’re not taking advantage of me.”

“How do I know?” He mumbled back, a hint of desperation beneath his words. “How do I know for sure? Th-the soup, what if… what if—”

_ “Sidon.” _ Link insisted, voice getting softer once the Prince looked back up at him. “I promise that I know exactly what is happening right now, and I promise you that if you were anyone else, I would’ve slapped you already.”

The Zora blinked at him before laughing breathily, his expression softening with it.

The Hylian shifted slightly. “Are… are you…?”

“What?”

“Are you…” Link blushed and averted his eyes. “… am I taking advantage of you?”

“No. No.” Sidon whispered, shaking his head as he did. “Not at all.”

Those words made his chest feel taut, made his heartbeat toll in his ears. The Hylian chewed at his lip before meeting the Prince’s eyes again, inhaling sharply when he realized the Zora had gotten closer.

“Can I…” Sidon stammered, throat bobbing as he swallowed thickly. “C-Can I… L-Link can I… can I…”

Link cocked a playful eyebrow at him, which only made the Prince stammer even more as he slowly leaned in.

“…  _ P-please.” _ The Zora practically gasped out.

The Hylian waited a few seconds before finally cupping Sidon’s face with both hands, barely noticing how hot Sidon’s cheeks felt against his palms. In one swift movement, he pulled the Prince closer, swooped in to meet him halfway, and kissed him. 

But Sidon  _ gasped  _ against his lips, his body tensed up, so just as quickly as he had pulled him in, Link pushed him away. A new flush of mortification swept all over him as his blush extended to the tips of his ears. 

“U-um…” Link stuttered, tearing his gaze away. His hands trembled slightly as they faltered. “W-was that not… was that not what you wanted—”

A sharp inhale sounded, and then one of the Zora’s hands cupped his face, the other making a loud  _ thump! _ as it landed on the ground next to him. Link’s eyes widened as they darted to follow his movements, and with his next breath, the Prince’s mouth was on his.

Throwing all caution to the wind, the Hylian let his eyes slide shut, craned eagerly towards the Zora, and curled his fingers under the man’s jaw. But — just as with their first kiss, Sidon pulled away after a few seconds, leaning his crest against Link’s forehead.

“Is this okay?” The Prince whispered.

Link didn’t bother opening his eyes.  _ “Yes,” _ He breathed, like his life depended on it.

Their lips met again, and soft smacks filled the air as they slid together, the sound alone almost as intoxicating as the kiss was. The Hylian sighed softly against his lips, trailed his hands to Sidon’s neck, and then wrapped his arms around it. He practically  _ melted, _ letting gravity do the work of pulling the Zora closer. The Prince went easily, pressing their chests together until Link’s back was flush against the railing behind him. All of his senses were so overwhelmed, the Hylian couldn’t help but to try to take in everything, to memorize as much of this moment as he could. He did so, even though he knew for a fact that this wasn’t their first kiss — just as he knew that this wasn’t their last. 

It was all so saccharine, and despite not having a sweet tooth, Link only wanted _more._ He tightened his grasp around the Prince’s neck, trying not to think about how they’re just _friends,_ how this was all supposed to be _fake,_ but goddess. The Hylian’s lungs were starting to burn, his lips were starting to ache, but he just couldn’t find it in himself to pull away — not that he was trying to, anyway.

And then, the tip of a tongue brushed across his bottom lip.

Link’s breath hitched and he immediately jerked his head back, initially not knowing what that strange sensation even  _ was. _ Sidon had pulled away sharply at the same time, face burning a bright shade of teal. They stared at each other wide-eyed, their pants filling in the silence between them.

“... U-um,” The two stammered in tandem, blinking at each other before letting out soft, awkward laughs.

The Hylian closed his mouth, hesitating for a bit before slowly letting his arms slide off of the Prince. After a few seconds, he looked up at the Zora expectantly, who averted his eyes and lamely cleared his throat.

“S-s-sorry…” Sidon squeaked out, leaning back enough so that he was sitting again. “I-I didn’t… I didn’t mean to—” 

“It’s okay.” 

The Prince snapped his head to look at him with a surprised expression, and the Hylian’s face immediately went hot. Oh goddess, that had probably come out too eager.

“I-I mean, just—” Link stammered, wringing his hands in his lap. “It’s okay, but we should… we should stop.”

Sidon nodded absentmindedly, face turning a deeper shade of teal as he ducked his head and buried his face in his hands. “Y-yes, we should. I’m sorry I…” He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry I got c-carried away.”

The Hylian grinned, despite his obvious embarrassment. “I’m just  _ so  _ irresistible, huh?” 

Dragging his hands down his face, the Zora looked at him with an entertained expression, paired with a playful eye roll. It made Link’s heart skip a beat.

“Of course you are.” 

It was said with such an equivocal tone that the Hylian couldn’t exactly tell if Sidon was joking or not, but frankly, Link loved himself too much to ask. 

* * *

Without even  _ talking  _ about it, Link and Sidon had mutually agreed to make the whole kissing thing for the public eye only. If they were alone, their faces maintained a respectful distance that practically screamed  _ hey, buddy pal, we’ve kissed before, but I’m  _ totally  _ not going to kiss you right now, I promise.  _

What undeniably set this change in stone was what had happened the morning after the… incident. King Dorephan had revealed to them — with a smug smirk — that there was a  _ specific  _ ingredient that made creamy heart soup actually have any effect on its consumers: fairy dust. 

Chef Ravacan had not used any fairy dust when making the soup. 

And, no, Link and Sidon did _not_ talk about it. At all. They didn’t even _look_ at each other after that information was revealed to them until about two hours later. 

Despite all of this, whenever the Prince did grace him with a kiss, the Hylian couldn’t help but look for that warm swipe of tongue across his bottom lip. Which, really, was just more reason to keep following that unspoken rule. After all, there was no way in hell Link would let  _ that  _ happen in front of King Dorephan and Mipha, for goddess’s sake. 

A few days had passed since then, filled with research, fulfilling his role as Sidon’s ‘boyfriend,’ research, thinking about how badly he wanted to kiss the Zora Prince — oh and, who woulda thunk — research. Because the Hylian’s schedule was so busy, it wasn’t until he woke up one morning to aggressive knocks at the door that he realized he was  _ probably _ forgetting about something. 

**_“Hey, Prince Sidon, are you in there?!”_ **

Oh — it was just Bazz. The Prince bobbed slightly in his sleeping pool, sighing as he pinched the flesh between his eyes. The Hylian, on the other hand, yawned as he sat up, squinting as he tried to adjust to the blinding light in the room.

“Someone’s at the door,” Link pointed out, helpfully.

Sidon looked over at him, expression immediately softening as he let out a small chuckle. When he groggily pulled himself out of the pool, the Hylian tore his gaze away, trying  _ very hard _ to erase the mental image of water dripping off the Prince’s  _ very _ muscular body.

**_“Can I come in?!”_ ** The captain shouted, with significantly more volume than was necessary.

“No, just give me a second—”

**_“Okay, I’m coming in!”_ **

Link watched amusedly as the doorknob rattled, accompanied with a violent jangle of keys. The door slammed open, and there Bazz stood in all his glory with a wide, cheeky grin on his face. The captain sauntered in with a delighted  _ good morning, harlots! _ before stopping in the middle of the room. The Prince, who had been standing nearby, inhaled, and exhaled slowly as he shut the door behind him.

“You know, it’s been a solid century since I’ve been in here —  **_whoa!”_ ** The captain jerked once he looked over at the bed, eyes having landed on the Hylian. “Link, you look  _ terrible!” _

“Wow,” He gave him a tight smile. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome!”

“Bazz…” Sidon sighed as he walked up to the captain and put a hand on his shoulder. “Not that I do not enjoy your company, my friend, but why are you here?”

The captain looked up at him and gasped, visibly offended. “After all these years,  _ this _ is how you react to my presence?”

_ “Bazz—” _

“I can’t believe it! All those times at lunch that I shared the  _ delicious _ chocolate chip cookies that my mommy made for me, and for  _ what—” _

**_“Bazz—”_ **

“Ask me to share my food with you one more time Prince Sidon!  _ Then! _ Then you’ll see what this type of betrayal feels like—”

“Bazz,” Link cut in, smiling once the captain looked over at him. “If you tell us what you’re here for, I’ll bake you  _ all  _ the delicious chocolate chip cookies you—”

_“Say no more!”_ The captain grinned, before jumping onto the bed to sit. Link had to grip the sheets to stay on the mattress. “I like your boyfriend, Sidon. Can we keep him? _Pretty_ _please?”_

The Prince sighed, turning his back to him as he walked over to his dresser. He began to put all his jewelry on, pointedly ignoring Bazz’s antics.

Once he realized Sidon wasn’t giving him any more attention, the captain turned to look at the Hylian again. “If you bake me cookies, can I call  _ you _ mommy?”

Link grimaced. “… Please  _ don’t.”  _

“Yeah… that’d be kinda weird. Sorry I asked that, bro. I mean, seriously. I already  _ have  _ a mom—”

“Bazz.” Sidon’s intonation was, simply put, borderline annoyed. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh! Yeah—” The captain whipped out a strip of fabric, grinning widely. “I’m abducting Link.”

The Prince immediately spun on his heel, eyes darting as he tried to comprehend the scene.

“Wh—” The Hylian’s eyes widened. “You’re  _ what—” _

“Princess Mipha’s orders, bucko.” Bazz stood up to walk over to Link’s side of the bed, frowning when he saw there wasn’t any walking space between the frame and the pool. He huffed before pushing the bed away, and the Hylian couldn’t help it; he cocked an impressed eyebrow. “We got to get you ready for the big day!”

The captain grabbed his arm to pull him up, and Link scowled slightly, yanking his arm back. “Big day? What’re you  _ talking  _ about?”

Bazz stilled, frowning back at him before looking up at Sidon.

“… You do…  _ know  _ why I’m here, right?”

The Hylian and the Prince stared blankly at him.

“Wait, you guys actually don’t know why I’m here?” Bazz deflated. “I thought it was a joke.”

A long stretch of silence passed before the captain overdramatically sighed, crossing his arms across his chest as he switched his focus between the two of them.

“Can either of you tell me what day it is?”

“Yes,” Link smiled, as Sidon shook his head. “It’s today.”

Bazz nodded slowly at him before dragging a hand down his face, hissing out a  _ dear Hylia give me strength _ before looking back up at them. “It’s  _ Saturday.” _

Sidon looked askance at the captain, narrowing his eyes in confusion. “… Yes…? And?”

“Oh my  _ goddess  _ — today is the  _ festival, _ you  _ idiots!” _

Link stilled, jaw going slack as he thought. Oh,  _ goddess,  _ was it already the end of the week? How was it  _ already _ the end of the week?! He cursed under his breath as he vaulted off the bed to pull on his boots. Mipha had told him someone was going to come get him for a “spa” day the morning of the festival, and he didn’t  _ dare  _ to try to see what would happen if he didn’t go. The Princess could be scary at times. Sidon was sputtering as he put the rest of his jewelry on as fast as he could — mumbling something about  _ oh, Mipha is going to kill me. _ The captain happily responded to this with a  _ it was nice knowing you, asshole. _

Once Link was sure he didn’t look as disheveled as earlier the captain approached him carefully, as if he were a wild horse.

“Alright, Link, you ready?” The strip of fabric hung menacingly in Bazz’s hands.

With a dejected sigh, the Hylian nodded, closing his eyes as the scratchy fabric wrapped around his head.

“Is blindfolding him absolutely necessary?” Sidon called behind them.

“Unless you want to feel the wrath of your sister, bud,  _ yeah, _ it’s necessary. She told me to.”

The Prince didn’t say anything else, but as the captain began leading him out of the room, Link suddenly felt the familiar weight of Sidon’s hand on his arm.

“Have fun, Link.” He mumbled; the Hylian could hear Bazz scoff impatiently behind him. “I will see you later at the festival, okay?”

Link smiled. Despite not being able to see, he could clearly tell that the Prince was anxious — he gently placed a hand on top of Sidon’s. 

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry. You have fun too, okay?”

A soft exhale came from the Prince, his smile ringing in its tone. “Okay.”

“What, I don’t get a  _ ‘have fun, Bazz’?” _

A pause, and then “Goodbye, Bazz.” 

Link snickered, and he could hear the distinct noise of a scoff and a hand swatting an arm away, joined with the fact that Sidon’s hand slid off his arm. He could also hear Bazz hissing out _ugh, go be gay somewhere else, your boyfriend is_ ** _late._** They stepped out of the room, and the sound of the Prince’s footsteps going the opposite direction almost made him want to break free and follow him — but the Hylian kept his composure. He let Bazz lead him down long hallways, and up two sets of stairs before stopping. A rhythmic knock sounded, followed by a loud _whoosh!_ as the door quickly opened.

“Master Link, the man of the hour! You’re late — got too busy with the Prince, eh?” A woman snickered, grabbing his shoulders, and dragging him into the room.

The Hylian stammered, blushing furiously. “U-uh—”

“Later, Link!” was all he heard from the captain before the door slammed shut.

The blindfold was promptly taken off him, and the Hylian jerked in surprise at the sight of five Zora women, a big, steaming tub in the middle of the room, and a cart filled with various soaps and scrubs. _ Oh. _ So Mipha  _ wasn’t  _ lying about the spa thing.

“Strip down to as much as you feel comfortable with and get in the tub, please!” One woman smiled widely.

All the Zora in the room looked at him expectantly.

“U-um…” Link blushed, shifting his weight on both feet. ‘I'm pretty comfortable like this, actually…’

The women stared at him blankly, before simultaneously giving his current outfit a once over. He hadn’t even bothered to take his boots off. They met his eyes again solemnly.

The next thing he knew, the Hylian was stripped down to his boxers, and was now in a tub full of hot water that reached his shoulders. He would’ve thought it unlikely, but actually, Link was having a  _ great  _ time. He had initially argued that he could bathe himself just fine, but the Zora women had insisted that they were getting paid for a  _ reason, _ swatting his hands away before getting to work. They left his hair so incredibly soft — way softer than anything he’s ever felt. Link’s skin was scrubbed clean to the point that it practically felt like velvet. The Hylian smelled nicer than he  _ ever  _ has, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t try to sneak a look at the soaps they were using so he could buy them for himself.

A few Zora delicacies were given to him as time went by, and the Zora women had graciously filled the silence with excited chatter about the festival. After his bath was finished an untold number of hours later, they took him to another room to get his hair done. When Link asked why there were no mirrors, they said they wanted to keep his final look a surprise. Somehow, getting his hair done took way longer than the bath, but the Hylian wasn’t experienced with enough hairstyles to even try to guess what they were doing. 

Occasionally, the Zora women tried to pry…  _ certain information _ about Prince Sidon from Link. But, with a beet red face, the Hylian managed to evade all their attempts by bringing up other subjects. Either they continually gave him mercy, or they just got distracted easily. It didn’t matter — Link was grateful either way.

As they kept talking, one woman came up to him with a makeup palette and asked if he would be comfortable with putting some on. Given that Link had worn makeup in Gerudo Town practically all the time, he didn’t mind at all. Even so, she had applied it conservatively — just a bit of blush and a thin line of eyeliner to accentuate his eyes. Once the Zora women were finished with the Hylian’s hair, they led him into another room, where, surprisingly, Adri was already waiting.

Link’s eyes shot up as he looked out the windows to the position of the sun, being already past four o’clock. He hadn’t even realized how much time had passed. The gray Zora had apparently misread his expression, because she promptly laughed out a  _ don’t worry, man, I’m gay _ before helping him get changed. Adri made sure he didn’t look at himself the entire time, insisting that he was going to love everything more when he sees it all at once. By this point, Link was  _ itching  _ to look at himself, so as the Zora carefully placed a sapphire circlet on him, he was practically vibrating with excitement. She took a step back and gave him a once over before breaking out into a wide grin.

“Goddess, Adri, you’re  _ so  _ talented.” She said to herself, wiping away a fake tear as the Hylian laughed breathily. “Master Link, you look absolutely  _ stunning.” _

He blushed, biting his lip to control his smile. With a wave of Adri’s hand, Link finally ducked his head to look at himself. From what he could see, it was a beautiful outfit — extremely well made, given the time limit. The cloak was a navy blue, merging as a gradient into a lighter shade. It had embroidery that looked as if the night sky was being reflected in it, its stars shimmering with the light as he moved, entrancing anyone that was caught in its gaze. His tunic was a steel blue, his pants a darker shade to contrast it. Link had on dark gray, knee-high boots, and _ goddess.  _

He definitely didn’t think it often, but he looked  _ good.  _

The Hylian spun a few times, smiling at the way his cloak fluttered with the movement. The fabric was so soft, so cooling to the touch; he felt extremely comfortable — confident, even.

Adri watched as he spun before she walked over to a closet nearby, pulled out a long mirror, and placed it directly in front of him. As Link reached his final spin, he caught a glimpse of his reflection and immediately skidded to a stop, jaw shamelessly dropping at the sight.

“Oh my  _ goddess—” _ He gasped, eyes widening as he moved his hands to see if the reflection actually  _ was _ him; sure enough, it moved with him. “Oh my goddess,  _ Adri—” _

“Right?!” She clapped her hands repeatedly. “You look  _ so  _ good!”

The man in front of Link  _ looked _ like him, but Hylia above did he look so  _ regal, _ so much more  _ different _ from his conventional appearance. His hair was put into a meticulous braided crown, with a bun at the back emphasizing the grandeur of the entire look. A sapphire circlet, with earrings to match, played together perfectly, somehow making his eyes all the more striking as the blues complimented each other. Link  _ knew  _ for a fact that the Zora women had only put a little bit of makeup on him, but he looked so… so— 

A sudden knock sounded at the door, yanking him out of his thoughts as he turned around, still very much wide-eyed. In came two women, and once the new party got a look at him, a chorus of gasps and loud squealing erupted. Usually, that would have made his ears ring, but the Hylian was in so much shock he found he didn’t mind at all.

_ “Link!”  _ Zelda cried, practically sprinting at him to pull him into a strong hug. Just as quickly, she let go and pushed him back to give him another look over. She broke out into a wide grin. “Oh my goddess, Sidon is going to  **_shit.”_ **

He was about to ask the Princess when she had arrived in the Domain when his eyes shot forward again. Mipha had followed close behind her, a hand now over her mouth as her eyes noticeably glistened over. She slowly walked around him in a circle, and Link blushed lightly as she stopped right in front of him and grabbed ahold of both his hands.

“Dear Hylia above Link… I think Sidon just might propose to you tonight.”

The poor Hylian immediately turned bright red, letting out a strained sound that only made everyone else in the room burst into laughter. He could feel the moisture leave his mouth, leaving him stumbling incompetently with his words.

“Ha… I-I…” He cleared his throat and swallowed thickly. “I d-don’t think so—” 

Adri scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes as she mumbled out a  _ yeah, uh-huh, okay. _ Link furrowed his eyebrows and carefully looked around the room at everyone’s expressions, getting the sensation that there was something he was being left in the dark in. 

“Pardon my language, Master Link, but you are looking so  **_fine_ ** that I  _ promise  _ you someone else will propose to you tonight if Prince Sidon doesn’t.” The grey Zora guffawed.

“Wh—”

“Oh, please,” Zelda cut in, chuckling as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “As  _ if  _ he would say yes to anyone else.” 

Link’s eyes widened as he looked at her, feeling his blush extend to the tips of his ears as she continued.

“Honestly, those two are just so in love, I’m shocked they’re not engaged yet!”

_ “Zelda!” _ He squeaked out, feeling lightheaded from how overwhelmingly  _ hot  _ his face felt.

Good goddess, what was she _ doing?  _ She knew that they were just pretending!

“I’m just speaking the truth, bud.”

Mipha giggled, trying — and failing — to muffle it behind her hand. “Alright, alright. We will get to see Sidon’s reaction soon, but we have about fifteen minutes left before we have to go downstairs. Would you like to get some food beforehand?”

“Ooh! I do!” Adri exclaimed, tail wagging behind her as she precariously packed up her things.

Zelda looked over at the Zora Princess and smiled, her grip on Link’s shoulder getting tighter to the point that it was painful. “You two can go ahead!  _ We  _ have stuff to talk about. Besides, we’ll be good with the potato wedges we brought with us.”

Link jerked slightly, frowning as he looked over at the table near the door. Sure enough, there was a platter with two food baskets of wedges —  _ huh. _ No wonder it had smelled so good all of a sudden. 

Goddess, he was hungry.

Mipha and Adri nodded at them, the Zora Princess blushing as the gray Zora opened the door for her. The door clicked shut behind them, and their conversation became more unintelligible the further they walked away.

“Adri, you did absolutely  _ wonderful, _ just as I knew you would [...]”

“Oh, it was nothing. [...] you know? [...]”

After a few seconds, silence took over, and as soon as it did, Link pushed Zelda’s hand off his shoulder and scowled at her.

“What the hell is  _ wrong  _ with you?” He hissed.

The Hylian Princess gave him a shit-eating grin. “What ever do you mean, Link?”

“Zelda, you know that there’s no need to — to play into the jokes!” 

“Jokes?” She said innocently, and it was at times like these that Link wished he weren’t sworn to protect her with his life. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You know the—” He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he turned around, before turning around again to look at her. “You know the truth about this whole —  _ thing!”  _

“I wasn’t joking, Link.” Zelda hummed, cocking an eyebrow at him. “I meant every word I said.”

Link stilled, blinking at her before shaking his head as hard as he could. “Zelda,  _ don’t. _ Don’t do this to me—”

“Don’t do  _ what?” _

“You know what!” He snapped, huffing as he began to pace back and forth. “Don’t make me think even for a second that all of this could work!”

The Princess’s eye twitched before she sighed heavily. Zelda stepped into his path, grabbed his arm, ignored his indignant scoff, and grabbed the platter of food baskets. She then dragged him to the doors across the room leading to the balcony outside. 

“Dear goddess, Zelda!” He exclaimed, trying to dig his feet into the ground — and either the floor was just  _ very  _ slippery, or the Princess had gotten impossibly buff since the last time he saw her. “What has gotten  _ into  _ you?!”

“Oh, hush, you big baby.” 

She slammed the doors to the balcony open, and Link cursed under his breath, trying to yank his arm away.

“Zelda,  _ seriously! _ Is something  _ wr—” _

“Wrong? Yes, actually.” She smiled at him before practically pushing him outside, and then into one of the seats there. Zelda plopped into the other seat, put the platter down on the table, and pressed her lips into a tight line when she looked at him. “We need to talk.” 

Link eyed her warily as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes, scowl still tugging at his features. “Talk? Talk about what?”

“About Sidon.”

“O-oh. Yeah —  _ yeah. _ Um—” He stuttered, blushing as he averted his eyes. “... So, uh… anyways, when did you arrive in the Domain?”

**_“Link.”_ **

“It’s a genuine question!” He defended, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“I got here this morning.” Zelda sighed heavily. “Can we talk about Sidon now?”

The Hylian pouted as he leaned back in his seat, pointedly looking away again. “What about him?”

He spared a glance over at the Princess, and upon seeing her knitted brows, looked away again. Link knew she was trying to figure out the right words to say, so instead, he fiddled with his cloak, enjoying how silky it felt against his fingers. The smell of the potatoes wafted into his nostrils, to which his stomach rumbled embarrassingly loud at. He plucked a wedge from the basket and popped it into his mouth as Zelda leaned forward.

“When are you going to confess to him?”

Link wheezed as the bite went down the wrong pipe, relentlessly hacking as he looked at the Princess wide-eyed. She slapped him on his back, and as soon as he managed to dislodge the potato, he swatted her hand away, face burning as he glared at her. 

“Zelda, what the _ fuck?” _ He hissed.

“You haven’t answered my question.” She urged, furrowing her brows at him. 

“I was  _ choking—” _

“Yeah, yeah. So? When are you going to confess?” 

“Wh—” He scoffed. “What do you mean,  _ when am I going to confess? _ Wh—?! Zelda, are you  _ out of your mind?!” _

She rolled her eyes, sighing exasperatedly as he nervously continued to ramble.

“I-I mean—! What? **_What?!_** So you think that — that three weeks of being in a fake relationship gives me the right to ask him if he wants this whole thing to be _real?”_ He threw his hands in the air, flailing them about wildly. “Did you get hit in the head with a **fucking** _moblin club_ on the way here? Because I honestly think you’ve gone _bonkers,_ you should let Mipha take a look at you, I’m _serious—”_

With a neutral expression, Zelda met his eyes again. “Sidon likes you back.”

Any words on the tip of his tongue came to a screeching halt, and Link swore he could’ve died right then and there considering that his heart had practically  _ stopped.  _ His stomach lurched; his mouth felt  _ dry, _ dry — the word  _ abort  _ was flashing in his head as he stared at the Princess’s distressingly nonchalant face.

“Wh-what?” He finally squeaked out. 

“Sidon likes you back, Link.” Zelda sighed, popping a wedge into her mouth. “I really don’t know how to make this clearer for you.”

“N-no. _ No!”  _

The Princess cocked an eyebrow at him. “Yes.”

“Y-you—! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” He panicked.

“Link—”

“You don’t have any—! You don’t have any  _ proof! _ How do you expect me to believe that—”

Zelda sighed and pressed her palms together. “I have proof.”

“Yeah, do you?” He hissed, bitterly. “What is it then?”

“Bazz told me you two are kissing now.” She smiled as Link shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Since when did she and the captain gossip with each other? “He also told me your first kiss lasted more than a minute.”

Link scowled — goddess, Bazz is so  _ nosy. _

... Wait a second.

How did  _ Bazz  _ know he and Sidon had started to kiss?

Oh, whatever. Link scowled as he looked back up at her. “Zelda, Sidon does  _ not  _ like me—  **_mmph?!”_ **

Before he could finish talking, the Princess had — very rudely, he might add — grabbed a handful of wedges and mercilessly forced it into his mouth, leaving him no choice but to chew and swallow. 

“Wrong!” She grinned smugly, grabbing another handful. “Try again.”

He huffed exasperatedly, wiping his mouth of the remnant crumbs. “Sidon does not like m—  _ mmph!” _

Zelda shoved wedges into his mouth again. “Wrong! Believe me, I could do this all day, Link.”

He glared at her and immediately lifted his hand to give her a crude gesture, which she only scrunched her nose up at, the way one would with a child. The Hylian covered his mouth with both hands, cheeks almost painful with how many wedges were in his mouth. Once he swallowed everything, he turned a scowl to her.

“Sidon does  _ not  _ like me!” He hissed, grabbed a handful of wedges, and shoved it into the Princess’s mouth before she could do it to him again. “Zelda, I’m serious, he doesn’t, and I  _ really  _ don’t appreciate you playing pranks on me—”

She slapped her hand over his mouth, which he hastily grabbed and shoved off, glowering.

“Link—” 

“Zelda,  _ please—” _ He begged.  _ “Don’t—” _

Suddenly, the distinct sound of doors opening carried through outside, along with Princess Mipha’s muffled  _ hello?. _ An actual blessing in disguise. Link shot up to his feet and wiped imaginary dust off his clothes as he opened the balcony doors.

_ “Link!” _ Zelda hissed, but he only gave her a frown before stepping back inside. 

“Oh! There you are!” Mipha lilted, smiling brighter when Zelda came back in as well. “Are you ready to go downstairs?”

“Of course,” Zelda replied smoothly, smiling widely as she walked ahead. 

Link followed them, but upon passing the mirror again, he caught a glimpse of himself and paused, turning to look at himself entirely. The Hylian blushed lightly as his eyes flitted across his reflection.

He really  _ did  _ look good. Link knew Zelda was lying about the Zora Prince, but maybe…

Maybe he could  _ actually  _ catch Sidon’s attention like this…? Maybe… maybe— 

“Alright Link, stop checking yourself out.” Zelda chuckled as he startled. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him out of the room. “Your  _ boyfriend _ is  _ dying  _ to see you.” 

Princess Mipha walked ahead of them, going on a tangent about a ritual they do every year at the festival. He felt a bit bad that he wasn’t paying attention, but, frankly, it was Zelda’s fault. She had just given him  _ so much _ to think about. They walked for a few minutes before the Hylian Princess nudged him with her elbow, giving him a coy smirk. Link scowled at her, about to give her the bird again when a sudden clap in front of them sounded.

“Okay, we’re here!” The Zora Princess smiled widely. “Just follow me after I get to the last step and so on. Oh, and don’t worry, it’s just King Dorephan, Prince Sidon, and the council down there. Everything else is for later!” Was all she said before going down the stairs, a chorus of  _ aw!s  _ sounding as she came into view. Link immediately regretted not listening to her speech on the way here. 

As soon as the cheers died down, Link made for the staircase, but Zelda swung her arm in front of him. She smirked as she walked forward, her dress blocking him even more. 

He frowned. “Zelda—”

“Link, I need you to watch Sidon as you go down the stairs. Promise me.”

“Wh— What?”

_ “Promise me.” _ She hissed, looking back at him with a frown.

He blinked at her, and when her expression fell even more, he let out a dejected sigh; Link took a step back, putting his hands up in mock surrender. The Princess hummed haughtily, flashing him a smug expression before going down the stairs herself. A round of applause sounded, coming to a halt after she hit the last step.

Link swallowed thickly, heart suddenly palpitating in his chest. He counted his breaths, making sure that each one was as deep as he could make it. He could feel his hands trembling as he stepped forward, and with one final slow exhale, he straightened his posture, put a hand on the railing, and made his way down. 

Everyone and everything slowly came into view. The swooping feeling in his stomach — along with the way his vision was starting to spin — just about made him want to race back up the stairs and stay in Sidon’s room for the rest of the night. 

Sidon. 

Zelda urged him in his head— 

_ Watch Sidon as you go down the stairs.  _

An ensemble of claps and words lost to his ears reverberated throughout the room, encircling him, and wrapping him up in its din. He slowed his breaths, desperately willing the ricocheting rhythm in his chest to calm down. With his fifth deep breath, he finally scanned the room, and as his eyes caught on the familiar red Zora, everything stilled. 

Prince Sidon became the focal point of everything. He became the only person in the room — no. He  _ became _ the room. 

The Hylian felt like his body was going in slow motion, yet he miraculously kept the same pace as he strolled down the stairs, legs moving at the beat of his heart.

_ Watch Sidon as you go down the stairs.  _

Oh, dear  _ goddess. _

Gone was Sidon’s characteristic regalia, replaced with intricate chained jewelry and sashes that sinfully complimented the man’s already herculean physique. He looked stronger, more authoritative, so impressive— 

So unfairly  _ handsome.  _

_ Watch Sidon as you go down the stairs.  _

Link swallowed thickly before finally meeting the man’s eyes, and he had to focus very, very hard on not skipping a step. 

Sidon was wide-eyed, an unforgivable shade of teal swept across his cheeks, jaw becoming more and more slack with seemingly every breath. The Zora was almost looking at him as if… as if… 

With a blink, the Hylian herded those thoughts to the back of his mind, refusing to let himself indulge in them. He couldn’t. 

Instead, he let the corners of his mouth quirk up, watching intently as he kept those golden eyes trained on him. The Prince blinked rapidly a few times before his slightly open mouth twitched into a semblance of a smile, small and tentative, which only made Link’s own wider. The Zora’s face turned brighter. 

As Link stepped off the final step and onto the floor, all sound shattered the previous static that had settled in his head and consequently filled his ears, compliments and adorations being heard but not listened to. 

One voice, however, successfully cut through the wall of sound. “Link, you look wonderful!” 

He looked up at King Dorephan and smiled shyly at him. ‘Thank you. Adri did an amazing job, didn’t she?’

The King laughed heartily. “Yes she did! I’ll be sure to double her commission price! Go to your boyfriend, I think you might’ve made Sidon go into shock.” He let out another chuckle as he patted his back, which really felt more like a shove than anything, before turning the other way. 

As he did, the Zora Prince came into sight, his expression filled with so many emotions it was almost laughable. Link stepped closer, swallowing audibly as his line of sight shamefully fell on those pecs, those biceps, those _ abs—  _

He inhaled sharply before snapping his gaze up to the Prince, chewing at his lip as he tried to find something to say. The Prince continued to gawk at him. 

“Um,” The Hylian stuttered, blushing harder than he already was. He averted his eyes and rubbed at one of his arms. “H-hi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you missed it, here's [link's festival outfit!!!!](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/post/628006504701870080/this-is-links-festival-outfit-for-think-im)
> 
> haha sidon's so gay
> 
> another shout out to my beta [amy](https://harmonicallychaos.tumblr.com/) because she is one of the loveliest people i've ever had the privilege to meet and i love her!!! she inspires me to write and her writing is beautiful and has made me cry more than once. she's great guys please check her out djfkhdkj
> 
> thank you so much to everyone who leaves kudos and comments!! ♥♥♥（ﾉ´∀`）you guys are all so amazing, and understanding, and so so So sweet <33 (´；ω；`) every single comment makes my day, so thank you again!!! <33333333
> 
> if you want, follow me on [tumblr](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/)!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi y'all! i am genuinely so, so sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. last semester i had a really heavy course workload, i was sick a lot, and honestly, my mental health hasn't been the kindest to me lately. i hope i can get the next chapter out sooner than this one, but i, unfortunately, can't make any promises. classes are starting again for me in a few days, but i'm super relieved i was able to get this one out before they started! small victories! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) <3
> 
> thank you to amy, [my beta,](https://harmonicallychaos.tumblr.com/) for being so wonderful, amazing, dependable, and for just being there whenever i needed help <333
> 
> here's the design for [sidon's festival outfit!!](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/post/640332788603682816/sidons-festival-outfit-for-think-im-addicted-to)

Link took Sidon’s breath away.

The Hylian descended the stairs, and all the Zora Prince could manage to think was,

**_… Wow._ **

Which was, quite frankly, _very_ embarrassing, considering he was well known in the Domain for being articulate and voluble. But in that moment, as the light gracefully illuminated the Hylian, he became transcendent, _ethereal._ So unbelievably beautiful. And it wasn’t even as if Sidon didn’t already know that Link was extremely attractive — that’s a fact he has been hyper-aware of for a long, long time now.

Golden hair swept up into a meticulously braided crown, Zora jewelry brightened his ivory skin, the diaphanous fabric of his navy-blue cloak swayed with each movement, accentuated by that sinfully close-fitting tunic—

It practically made the Prince’s brain short-circuit.

And then, the Hylian made eye contact with him, and Sidon _melted._ A smile tugged gently at those lips that he knew for a fact were soft and plush, and subconsciously, the Prince copied him. Upon seeing that, Link smiled even wider, and… goddess Hylia above.

Sidon didn’t know he could have fallen even _more_ in love with Link than he already was, but then again, that was just the Hylian’s specialty at this point, wasn’t it? He was always finding new ways to surprise him.

Far too soon for his liking, Link reached the bottom step, joining the crowd of people in the lobby. Sidon took the time to try to calm down, to ease his burning lungs and slow his racing heart, but then the Hylian came back into sight and he was bewitched all over again. He walked over to where he stood, unable to move, stopping just a couple of feet away with a crimson blush brushed high across his cheeks.

“Um,” He stuttered, averted his eyes, and rubbed at one of his arms. “H-Hi.”

Sidon suddenly became aware of how insanely _hot_ his face felt. Not only that, but he, to his dismay, _just now_ realized that his jaw had dropped, which meant that this entire time he had been _gawking_ at Link. Like an _idiot._

 **_“H-Hi!”_ ** He blurted out, voice hoarse and reedy, and loud enough that he had managed to frighten both of them. Link met his gaze again with wide eyes.

Wow. Record time for fucking something up.

 _“S-S-Sorry!_ Uh — I — u-um… h-hi, Link!” The Prince squeaked out, inhaling sharply. “Wh-what’s up?”

The Hylian blinked at him. Then blinked at him again. Sidon watched as Link bit his lip and covered his mouth with his hand, shoulders shaking as if he were laughing.

… Oh, goddess, he _was_ laughing.

Sidon was an anxious, blabbering mess and Link was **_laughing._ **

A low, monotone groan of pure and unadulterated embarrassment left the Zora Prince as he buried his face in his hands. The Hylian’s poorly suppressed giggles were going to haunt him to his grave.

“I — g-good goddess, I-I do sincerely apologize Link, u-u-um… I…” He trailed off, dragged his hands down his scorching face, took deep breaths. After what seemed like ages of nervously fumbling with his jewelry, he finally forced himself to meet Link’s eyes again. “I… you… uh — y-you look good.” He swallowed thickly. “Y-you look… really good.”

The Hylian dropped his hand from his mouth, smiling softly with a hint of pink extending to the tips of his ears. Averting his eyes, he cleared his throat, and looked back up at him.

“Th-thank you, Sidon. U-Um… you look…” An airy, short laugh. “You… you look good, too. Um — really good.”

The Zora Prince let out a strained _oh, goddess,_ to which Link responded to with visibly growing concern. Sidon’s knees felt weak.

“O-o-oh! _Really?_ Um — u-uh — c-c-cool! _Cool!_ Th-thank — _thank you_ — **_thanks!”_ **

Perhaps goddess Hylia would be merciful enough to strike him with lightning, killing him right then and there. Unfortunately though, she wasn’t, so she didn’t, but King Dorephan’s voice _did_ echo throughout the room, calling everyone’s attention, so Sidon was saved anyway.

“Good afternoon, everyone. As you all know… today is the Champion’s Festival. Every year we have celebrated my daughter, Princess Mipha, her accomplishments, and the pride she has brought to the entire Zora Domain. But this year, Link, the Hero of Hyrule, has graced us with his presence.” The King smiled over at the Hylian — Sidon could sense him tense up a bit when everyone else turned to look at him too. “Today, we celebrate his accomplishments as well, and consequently, the tremendous duty he has fulfilled to Hyrule. We thank their bravery, their determination, and their perseverance in their fight against Calamity Ganon. Our people have poured their heart and soul into the preparation for this event all week, so please, indulge in tonight as much as your heart desires.” A theatrical sweep of his arms, and the guards opened the front doors, revealing the Domain beyond. “Enjoy the festival!”

A chorus of cheers and applause erupted, and then everyone was filing out the doors with excited chatter; Sidon absentmindedly followed behind Link. They were one of the last people out of the lobby, and when they reached the top step, the Hylian stopped, smiling widely as his gaze traveled across the Domain.

“Wow…” Link breathed. “It’s so beautiful.”

The Prince gazed at him, unable to look away even if wanted to. He knew he needed to pull himself together, but it was so out of the realm of possibility for him at the moment — all he could do was focus on the flame blazing away in his ribcage. Feeling lightheaded the more he dared to breathe the Hylian’s air, all he managed to wheeze out was,

_“… Y-yeah.”_

Link looked over at him and huffed out a laugh, moving to stand in front of him, eyes clearly full of amusement. Sidon could feel his heart skip a beat. Probably more than one.

“Are you… um—” He giggled. “Are you okay?”

“Wh— huh? What? I-I-I—” The Zora’s face flushed bright teal. “Y-yes? _Yes!_ Yes, o-of course I am, wh-why would I not be?”

“Not to alarm you or anything, but… you seem kind of nervous.”

Sidon opened and closed his mouth, but each time failed to actually get anything out. His face got _impossibly_ hotter the more the Hylian looked at him, to the point that he felt like he couldn’t even make eye contact with him anymore. Finally, he managed to get out “ _I just—”_ when another voice cut in, loudly.

**_“Link!”_ **

The two turned, looking towards the direction it had come from. Sure enough — just a few yards away, near the entrance to one of the aisles — the Hylian Princess stood, waving her hand and beaming. A wrinkle formed between Link’s brows at the sight. Zelda continued to wave him over though, so after a few seconds he looked back up at Sidon, expression full of apology.

“O-oh, I… um…” He stammered, wringing his hands in front of him, eyes darting to Zelda then back at the Prince. “I think she wants to talk to me for a bit. I-I’ll um… I’ll be right back, I promise!”

Sidon nodded rapidly. “Y-yes, of course! I will be here.”

Link smiled softly, quickly brushing a hand against his before going down the steps, the light touch making the Prince’s mind go blank. Goddess, he could watch him walk away all day—

Suddenly, a hand tightly gripped his arm, and Sidon let out an alarmed yelp as he was violently dragged back into the palace. The doors slammed shut behind him, and the Prince thrust back an elbow, making contact, and whipped around when a loud _“ah,_ ** _shit_** _fuck!_ ” escaped his abductor.

His eyes widened. **_“Bazz?!”_ **

The captain held his crest with both hands, eyes squeezed shut as he let out a loud hiss. His spear clattered when it hit the floor.

 _“Ow!_ Dude, what the actual _shit!”_ He griped, stumbling backward. “The fuck is wrong with your elbow?! That hurt, you _asshole!”_

Sidon bristled. “You are the one who—! _You_ are the one who attacked _me!”_

“Attacked?!” Bazz glared at him. “I didn’t _attack_ you! You jerk!” Tears filled his eyes. “I thought you _loved_ me, man!”

“You may as well have attacked me! I did not know who had grabbed me!”

The captain sighed heavily, grumbling under his breath as he picked up his spear, one hand still pressed against his crest. Sidon did feel a little bad that he had put so much force behind his strike now, but he still stood by what he said.

“Okay, fine, I’ll admit it. Maybe not my smartest moment—”

_“Maybe?!”_

“Shut it, Your Highness. I had my reasons.” He sniffed proudly. “We need to talk.”

Sidon frowned, narrowing his eyes. “… What?”

“We need to talk,” He repeated, quickly adding, “Not here, though.”

Bazz grabbed his arm again and pulled, but the Prince stayed put; being a lot bigger than him, it wasn’t hard to.

“But I — I told Link I would wait for him—”

“Don’t worry about that—”

“What if he thinks I ditched him?!”

“He won’t, now come on! The longer you keep us here, the longer you’ll be gone from your _boyfriend.”_

It was said condescendingly, but the Zora Prince scowled, pulled his arm out of Bazz’s grasp, and motioned for him to lead them. He quickly went down the halls of the palace, eventually going out the doors that Sidon recognized led towards the captain’s office. The festival didn’t reach all the way out here, but there _were_ a few Zora walking to the Domain that eyed them curiously as they passed. Fortunately though, none of them tried to stop them. After a few more minutes, they stopped outside out of Bazz’s office, and he fumbled a bit with the keys before successfully unlocking the door. Once it was open, he practically _shoved_ Sidon inside, and the Prince scowled as the door clicked shut behind them again.

“Bazz, what—”

He ignored him, instead walking over to the floor lamp next to his desk and turning it on, resting his spear on the wall behind it. Plopping into his chair with a loud exhale, the captain looked over at Sidon, then pointedly looked at the chair on the other side of the desk. The Prince eyed him warily as he sat down, too.

“What is so important to talk about that we had to come all the way to your office?”

Bazz narrowed his eyes at him, expression unreadable enough that he was starting to shift uncomfortably under his scrutiny. The silence stretched for a few more beats when, suddenly, the captain slapped the desk with his hand; Sidon almost jumped out of his seat. He took a quick deep breath, and in his best announcer voice, shouted:

“Prince Sidon of the Zora Domain: the man! The _myth!_ The fucking **_legend!”_ ** Bazz put a cupped hand to his mouth and whooped. “Did someone start a bonfire in here or something because you are _smokin’!”_

Sidon blinked a few times, not processing what was happening; Bazz, oblivious and ecstatically eager, continued, wolf-whistling.

 **_“Damn!_ ** You’re looking _good_ as hell!” The captain vaguely gestured at him as he spoke, grinning ear to ear. “I don’t have a girl, but if I did, I’d let you take her, _deadass._ This outfit is doing you some **_favors,_ ** bro. Like, making you look you were carved by goddess Hylia herself, _favors.”_ He leaned back in his seat and pointed at him. “I bet if I touched your jawline right now, I’d need fucking stitches.”

The Prince stared at him for a few more seconds before breaking out into a chuckle, genuinely appreciative of the — admittedly overzealous — attention. Bazz loved to hype him up whenever he could, _especially_ since he saw firsthand how insecure Sidon used to be when he was younger. Honestly, most of the confidence he carried around with him now could be attributed directly to the captain. He knew Bazz could say the same of him, too.

“Thanks, Bazz.” Sidon beamed. “I really appreciate it.”

“Any time, you _Adonis_ of a man!” The captain sniffed, theatrically wiping away a fake tear. “You filthy fucking **_beaut!”_ **

The Prince laughed breathily. “Thank—”

“Thank your lucky stars, man, because Link is going to be _all_ over you by the end of the night. I can _guar-an-tee_ it!”

Immediately, Sidon felt his face go hot; he stammered wildly, hands erratically shooting out in an attempt to stop him. Certain… _thoughts_ had started to race through his head and he really, _really_ didn’t need to be thinking about that type of stuff right now.

 **_“O-O-Okay!_ ** That — that is _more_ than enough, Bazz!”

“… Ah, too much?” He had the comity to look abashed.

Letting out a loud exhale, the Prince slumped in his chair and buried his scorching face in his hands.

“Too much.”

“My bad.”

Bazz drummed his fingers on his desk while Sidon calmed down. When he did, he dragged his hands down his face to look over at the captain, expression quizzical.

“Bazz?”

“What?”

“Are you going to tell me why you brought me here now?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah—” The captain grinned, leaned forward, and rested his elbows on the desk, interlocking his fingers. He squinted at him and hummed speculatively. “So… _Link,_ huh?”

Sidon narrowed his eyes back at him. “… What about him?”

“He’s a cute guy! Especially in that outfit tonight. Amirite, or amirite?”

“… Um…” The Prince blushed lightly and averted his eyes. “… Y-yes, you are.”

Actually, in his opinion, ‘cute’ wasn’t even _close_ to being able to describe the way the Hylian looked tonight, but he wasn’t about to tell the captain all that. He had _some_ dignity. Lost in these thoughts, however, he almost didn’t hear what Bazz said next.

“So when are you going to tell him that you’re _madly_ in love with him?”

Sidon snapped his head to look over at him so fast it _hurt,_ eyes widening while the rest of his face graciously took it upon itself to turn bright teal.

“Wh-What?! _What?!”_ He choked out. “What are you—?! What — I — B-Bazz, are you **_insane?!”_ **

“Nope!” Popping the ‘p,’ the captain flashed him a cheesy grin.

“Have you forgotten what the point of him _being_ here is?! I-I cannot—! I cannot **_tell him that,_ **Bazz!” 

“Why not?”

“What do you _mean,_ why not?!” Sidon snapped, standing up so quickly his chair scraped across the floor. “You know _exactly_ why I cannot!”

The captain hummed innocently. “I don’t know; I think I might have conveniently forgotten so that you could reevaluate your bullshit logic. Refresh my memory?”

The Prince bristled, flared his gills, and growled, thunderous and strident — Bazz casually put his hands up in mock surrender.

“Whoa. Easy there, Your Highness.” He droned.

“I cannot _believe_ you Bazz! D-Did you _really_ drag me all the way out here just so you—! Just so you could ask me a question that you already know the answer to?!”

“Hey! I did you a _favor—”_

“A favor?!” He echoed.

“—you looked like you were about to get on one knee and _propose_ to him, Sidon!”

“I—!” Sidon blushed furiously. “I did not!”

Bazz snorted and rolled his eyes; Sidon deflated.

“I—!” He stammered. “I-I—!”

“C’mon, you were practically _ogling_ the man! You live in a Domain full of water and yet you’re _still_ fucking parched! You better be grateful that Link is oblivious as all hell, because otherwise, he would have been a little freaked out!” A few seconds passed as the captain fell silent, thinking for a bit. “… Actually, you know what? He might’ve been into it—”

“Wh—! I-I am **_leaving!”_ **

Sidon turned on his heel, storming towards the door, pointedly ignoring the screech of furniture as Bazz moved to follow him. What he hadn’t expected was the captain getting in between him and the exit, spear clearly held in an offensive stance. He jumped back, a flare of panic rising in his throat; there was a _reason_ Bazz was the captain of the Royal Guard. However, once Sidon processed the situation, he frowned and puffed out his chest.

“Do you point your _spear_ at me, Bazz?”

The captain faltered, eyes widening a bit as if he just now realized what he was doing. “… Uh…” He averted his eyes, looking back over at him quickly. “… No…?”

The silence stretched for a few seconds as the two stared blankly at each other, nonmoving. Gradually, though, Bazz broke out into a grin, obviously attempting to break any tension was in the air.

“I don’t point my spear at _you,_ Prince Sidon. But I do point my spear.”

Sidon blinked, and the lack of reaction put a hint of desperation behind the captain’s eyes.

 _“Please_ don’t tell your dad about this — this is the only job I’m good at. Goddess, do you even remember the armor shop scandal?” He winced. “I was never let near that fish tank with bomb arrows again.”

“Let me _pass,_ Bazz!” The Prince growled.

“No! I can’t.” Bazz sighed heavily, gripping his spear with a bit more intent. “Sidon, please, make this easier for the both of us and just _sit down.”_

The Prince stilled upon seeing the seriousness in the captain’s face, starting to actually consider listening to what he had to say. But then he thought about how Link probably thought he had ditched him, and with his heart twisting at the image, he made up his mind.

“I _have_ to get back to Link, he must be wondering where I am—” Sidon insisted, taking a step forward.

The captain didn’t budge. “Don’t worry about that. Zelda’s distracting him right now.”

The Prince frowned. “Zelda is what?”

“She’s distracting him right now; they’re probably eating or something.”

Gears turned in his head — that was too convenient. That was _way_ too convenient.

“Are you and Princess Zelda... _conspiring_ together?”

He averted his eyes. “Wh-what? _What?!_ No? **_No!_ ** Pssh!” He let out a short, trill laugh. “Of _course_ not!”

“Then… d-did you…” Sidon deflated. “Did you tell Princess Zelda about my feelings towards Link?”

“What?!” Bazz met his eyes again. “No! Of course I didn’t! Dude, what kind of friend do you think I am?!”

“Then why, pray tell, did you two just _happen_ to separate us at the same time?”

“Like I _said,_ we have something important to talk about—”

“What could possibly be so important that it could not wait until _after_ the festival?!”

“ _Damn it_ — Link likes you **back,** Sidon!” Bazz snapped. “He’s in _love_ with you!”

He stilled — the Zora Prince felt like if he moved, _breathed,_ that everything would collapse around him. His heart was pounding away in his ears, and his mind felt so blank that he was honestly surprised he hadn’t passed out right then and there. Searching the captain’s face gave him none of the answers that Sidon was looking for; there was no derision or ridicule, no sense whatsoever that he was taunting him. It was completely serious, and the Prince wasn’t sure whether he preferred being relentlessly mocked over this or not. When he could finally his mouth again, the only thing he managed to choke out was:

_“… What?”_

Bazz sighed, let his spear drop to the floor as he walked forward. He turned Sidon around and gently guided him back to his chair, which the Prince meekly plopped into. The captain walked around the desk and sat back in his own chair, carefully watching him as he did. Sidon stared wide-eyed at his hands.

“There… there has to be a mistake—” He finally rasped out. “That — no, Bazz, you are _wrong.”_

“I’m not _wrong,_ Sidon. I wouldn’t be telling you this if I was.”

The memory of azure eyes staring into his own, of his arms wrapped around the Hylian as he slept, of soft lips pressing against his, of _every single time_ Sidon wished with all his heart that it could all be _real_ — it made him shake his head as hard as he could.

“No. No, no, _no,_ Bazz! I-I _know_ him! Link does not—!” Sidon steadfastly looked up at him. The captain stared back just as staunch. “You are wrong. I _know_ you are.”

A few beats of silence passed before Bazz inhaled and exhaled slowly, slumping back in his seat.

“Goddess, Sidon. I love you man, but you have such a thick skull it’s frustrating.”

The Prince loured. “I think I would notice if Link liked me back after _three weeks_ of pretending to _date_ him, Bazz!”

“Well then, with all due respect, you have _a lot_ of undue confidence in your ability to notice things.” He retorted.

Sidon shot up to his feet, the captain following suit.

“I am **leaving.”** He hissed.

_“Sidon—”_

“No, Bazz! I-I just—!” The Prince walked towards the door. “I need to get back to Link.”

The captain let out an exasperated sigh as he followed yet again, stepping in front of him without a spear this time. “Fine. I’ll let you go, Sidon, but you need to keep what I said in mind.”

“I—” Sidon stammered. “I _can’t—”_

“You _can’t?”_ Bazz repeated forcefully. “Or you _won’t?”_

The Prince stilled, closed his eyes, and sighed heavily. “I know the truth, Bazz, and I do not appreciate you playing tricks on me—”

“I’m _not_ playing tricks on you!”

Sidon side-stepped to try to get around him, but the captain only followed his movements, blocking him from the door.

“I want you to be _happy,”_ Bazz said. He put a hand on his arm, obviously trying to provide comfort. “But you need to stop running away from these types of situations when you think they’ve gotten out of _your_ control.”

He winced. “I… I do not—”

“You do. You know you do.” The captain insisted. “You know what else you do, Sidon? You doubt what someone else says, or what they’re feeling, or thinking, if it goes against what _you_ thought was happening. If it goes on for too long you block yourself off, or goddess forbid you get stubborn and impulsive and you end up saying shit you don’t mean.” Bazz huffed. “Like, dude, you’re so caught up with the belief that Link could never like you that you don’t realize that he already _does._ You can’t bring yourself to trust other people’s feelings because you don’t have control over it.”

Sidon cast his gaze to the ground, squeezed his eyes shut, and counted to ten in his head. And then counted to ten again. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, he eventually opened his eyes, watching the jewelry on his body glimmer with the light drifting in from the windows. Upon seeing him open his eyes, the captain slid his hand off of him, and the Prince couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Sometimes he forgot just how well Bazz knew him.

“I know you do it because you don’t want to get hurt, Sidon. I get it.” His voice dropped in volume. “I do. You’re my best friend, bro. I don’t want you to get hurt, either. But you _got_ _to_ stop trying to make things go your way because you already have a predetermined version of the outcome in your head.”

The Prince nodded, mind still a bit hazy.

“You are right,” He mumbled, pinching the flesh between his eyes. “I know you are right — about _that._ But… about Link… how do I know that—? How do I know?” Sidon looked up at him, almost desperately. “How do I _know?”_

The captain smiled. “Well, you could trust me on this, and/or you could just take a leap of faith and try to jumpstart things yourself. Just go for it.”

“… Just… go for it?”

“Just go for it,” Bazz confirmed.

Silence fell again as thoughts raced through Sidon’s mind. Bright blue eyes. Arms wrapped around a sleeping Hylian. Soft lips pressing against his.

Link.

“… Okay,” he eventually mumbled, nodding, and speaking louder, “Okay… yes, I… I suppose I will.”

Bazz whooped and slapped his back enthusiastically; the Prince’s lips quirked into a nervous smile.

“Atta boy!” He cheered, pumping his fist in the air. “You finally got the cojones, gifted by Cupid himself! And _I’m_ feeling like a _proud_ **_fucking_** father! Hell yeah! Go get ‘em, champ!”

The captain was still yelling out nonsense while he grabbed his spear off the floor and pushed the two of them out the door, but Sidon was more focused on the nausea building in the pit of his stomach. Bazz rattled the doorknob to check if it was locked, then led the two of them back to the main bridge, opting to not use the palace halls this time to get to the festival. Once they arrived, the captain gave him two thumbs up before going off to his shift to monitor the Domain. And, for a few seconds, the Prince simply stood there. His gut felt like it was twisting, his chest felt tight, and his throat felt constricted. He leaned against a column nearby, desperately taking deep breaths as he thought about what he just pledged to do.

Oh, goddess. He really, _really_ hopes he’s not going to make a fool of himself — and that Bazz wasn’t wrong about Link. Sidon _had_ been feeling more intimacy behind their affections lately, and ever since the incident with the creamy heart soup, the Prince’s curiosity had only skyrocketed. Now that he was actually going to try and bring something out of it… it was nerve-wracking, but also exhilarating. He _wanted_ this. A lot.

Like, a _lot,_ a lot.

Figuring that starting off with small gestures will lead to a better chance of success, Sidon pushed himself off of the column, took another deep breath, straightened his jewelry, and began to look for the Hylian. He made his way towards the aisle he had seen Zelda standing in front of earlier, going down the entire line of stands and tents, but didn’t see any blond haired Hylians. As he made his way back to the entrance to try another aisle, however, a vaguely familiar voice called out,

“Prince Sidon! What an _absolute_ honor to see you again!”

Stopping mid-step, he looked around the crowd for who was speaking, and was met with the sight of the ginger, constantly smiling Hylian vendor from the Zora market. Sidon hesitated for a few seconds before making his way over, knowing that it was extremely rude for a Prince to ignore civilians. Even if said civilian made him feel uneasy.

Unfortunately, finding Link was going to have to wait.

“Hello again,” Sidon gave him his famous smile; he assumed the Hylian would have returned it, had he not been smiling already. “Are you enjoying the festival?”

“Oh, yes. It is very beautiful and vibrant here, unlike back home. It is rather melancholy there.”

The vendor rubbed his hands together as he spoke. It seemed to be just a habit, but even so, the Zora Prince couldn’t help but feel like he needed to practice caution around him.

“Well, I am very pleased to hear that we are able to provide such an experience for you.” Sidon bowed his head in dismissal. “If you will excuse me, I—”

“I have new wares in my collection if you would like to see them. They are quite unique if I do say so myself.”

“I…” The Prince averted his eyes, looking back over when he didn’t see Link in his vicinity — goddess, where had he gone off to? Exhaling slowly, he smiled again, although it felt tighter. “Yes, of course. I would love to.”

The salesman’s enthusiasm never wavered while showing off new masks and other inconspicuous items that he had collected since the last time Sidon had seen him. The entire time, however, the Prince was half paying attention, half keeping watch on his surroundings in case he saw Link in the crowd. He hoped he didn’t think Sidon had left him on purpose.

“And, last but not least, the items I wanted you to see the most.” The Hylian reached under the table and offered a small velvet bag to the Prince, who reluctantly took it from him. “Go on,” He encouraged, with a wave of his hands.

Sidon eyed him warily for a few seconds before opening it, eyes widening slightly as he pulled out the necklace inside. It had a silver chain, with intricate silver framing around a semi-transparent opal that had multiple, beautifully vibrant colors. He knew enough about jewelry making that he was vaguely impressed by the design, but not enough that he was particularly interested.

The vendor gestured to the necklace. “It was crafted by one of the finest artisans in Hyrule.”

“It is quite beautiful, thank you for showing me.” Sidon smiled, returned the necklace to the bag, and attempted to hand it over. A flash of ire flashed over the vendor’s face, a wide grin appearing again as he pulled out a similar bag and offered it to him. “That is not all, Your Highness. It has a matching pair.”

That piqued his interest — he took ahold of the other bag, opened it, and found that, yes, it was indeed a matching pair, save for the slightly different patterns on the gem.

“Opal is a brittle gem and can be very sensitive; it cracks if the artisan is not careful.” The Hylian explained, gesturing to the necklaces. “Jewelry cut from the same gem is known to be a symbol of good luck and long-lasting romance. If you don’t mind me saying, I do believe that such a possession would be _perfect_ for you and your partner.”

Sidon blushed, but nevertheless looked at the necklaces again, closer this time.

In the back of his mind, he was berating himself for even daring to _consider_ buying them. After all, wouldn’t it be weird to get matching necklaces? They weren’t actually dating, and this type of gift would last even after the month was over. Would Link see the gesture as Sidon trying to court him?

… Well. That _was_ what he was trying to do. He told Bazz he was going to. While he knew the captain wouldn’t get upset with him for not doing so, the Prince _did_ want to try to see if Link would reciprocate his feelings if he just tried a little harder.

Coming to a hopefully advantageous decision, Sidon swallowed thickly and looked at the Hylian vendor.

“How much?”

The man smiled impossibly wider.

A few thousand rupees later, Sidon was making his way down the aisles again, tucking the two bags in a pocket he had behind his sash. As he put his hand over the pocket for the tenth time in five minutes, he realized that he didn’t even plan how, much less _when,_ he was going to give it to Link.

He winced to himself. He probably should’ve thought that out better before making such a large purchase.

Eventually, he went down to the very end of a row of food vendors, where a dining area was set up. There, blue eyes _finally_ met his, and their owner shot up to his feet, a wide smile adorning his face. The sight made the Zora’s chest feel warm.

“Sidon!” Link exclaimed.

The Prince grinned as he walked over to his table. “Link,” He said, in a tone similar enough that it was obvious he was teasing him. “I hope I did not make you wait long.”

“No, no. I should be saying that to _you._ I’m sorry I disappeared, I just—”

“That was my fault.” A new voice cut in, and Sidon startled at the sight of Princess Zelda standing up, smiling at him. Had she been there the entire time? “I needed to speak with Link. My apologies, Prince Sidon. I did not mean to separate the two of you for so long.”

The Prince schooled his face into a smile at her response, distantly remembering what the captain had said earlier. She didn’t _look_ suspicious, but he was almost certain Zelda and Bazz _were_ in on some sort of plan together. Everything was too coincidental to think otherwise.

“Do not worry, Princess Zelda. There is no need to a—”

“We _already_ spoke, Zelda!” Link crossed his arms and turned a frown to her. His tone indicated that they had had this argument already. “Back in the palace!”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t exactly listen to anything I said, did you?”

“There was nothing worth listening to!”

“That is exactly my point! It _was_ important—”

Link’s eyes darted to Sidon before looking back at the Princess, a light flush of pink rising to his cheeks. “There was no need to have that conversation again, and you know it.”

“Only because you _insist_ on there being no need to! For goddess’s sake, Link, can you stop being so stubborn for _once_ in your life! I’m trying to help you!”

“Help? _Help?_ Zelda, if anything, you’re making my life way more complicated than it’s supposed to be!”

The Prince’s eyes shifted between the two while they argued, getting increasingly nervous the longer the conversation went on. Trying to remedy the palpable tension in the air, he blurted out,

“You look lovely tonight, Princess Zelda.”

The two Hylians froze, directing slightly surprised looks at him — he desperately wished he hadn’t said anything.

“Oh. Thank you.” She smiled and bowed her head. “As do you, Prince Sidon.”

Link grinned at him, dramatically batting his eyes. “Do _I_ look lovely tonight, Prince Sidon?”

The Zora blushed. “You look…” Being bold had never exactly been his forte, but he gave it a try, anyway. “You look astonishingly beautiful tonight, Link.”

Link blinked at him, then slowly turned around while clearing his throat. Sidon couldn’t see his face, but he _could_ see how red the tips of his ears had gotten. He mentally cheered.

Maybe he _did_ have a chance at courting Link after all.

“Ew,” Zelda stuck out her tongue and gagged. “I’m leaving, you two are disgusting.”

At that, Link spun on his heel to look at her, eyes widening slightly.

“W-wait, Zelda — you should…! You should come with us! To enjoy the festival!” He let out a stilted laugh. “Together! You know, because of—” He side-eyed the Prince, just as rapidly looking over at the Princess again. Sidon had the feeling he was missing something here. “What we… **_talked_** about!”

She smiled innocently. “Oh, I’m sorry — silly me! I think I forgot! Do you mind telling me again?”

Link looked like he wanted to murder her.

_“Zelda!”_

The two Hylians stared at each other, practically having a silent conversation as eyebrows rose and fell, with various expressions of differing emotions flitting by. Sidon was about to comment on the Princess’s new dress, just for the sake of saying something to diffuse tension again, when Zelda exhaled sharply.

“Well, I suppose if you won’t tell me, I must _insist_ that I take my leave.” Link clenched his fists; she didn’t flinch. “You two need some time _alone_ . As **_boyfriends.”_ **Turning on her heel, she sang, “Enjoy the festival!”

Link sighed, heavy and frustrated, as Zelda sauntered away. A small wrinkle formed between his brows, and he rubbed it away with his fingers while Sidon realized something. He never actually considered what he would do if the Hylian didn’t want to spend time with him. Mentally berating himself, the Zora cleared his throat, speaking once the man glanced over at him.

“U-um… if… if you do not want to partake in the festival with me, Link, I… I completely understand—”

Link’s eyes widened, and he was already protesting before Sidon could finish his statement.

“What?! Oh, _Sidon_ — no! N-no, that’s not — I wasn’t — I-I didn’t—”

A flush of red took over his face as he let out another sigh, pressing his fingers against his eyelids. The Prince shifted uncomfortably.

“Sidon, I—” Link dropped his arms to his sides, the corners of his mouth quirking as he looked at him. “Of _course_ I want to spend the festival with you, you — you _ridiculous_ man.”

The Hylian was giggling by the time the Zora processed what he had said, his smaller hands already having grabbed a hold of his. By some miracle from Hylia herself, he managed to pull himself together fairly quickly after a wave of relief washed over him. He broke out into a flashy grin that only made Link’s smile wider and the flame in Sidon’s chest stronger.

“Come on, I’m hungry.” Link chirped. “Let’s get something to eat.”

The Prince nodded, pulled his hands away to wrap an arm around the Hylian’s shoulder, and led them down the aisle of food stands. As they weaved through the other festival-goers, they were greeted multiple times, frequently given well wishes which Sidon reciprocated. Link eyed each food stand, and eventually, he pulled them towards one occupied by an older, green Zora selling grilled fish on skewers. Upon seeing them, the man bowed his head towards the two of them with a bright smile.

“Prince Sidon, Master Link — it is so wonderful to see the two of you tonight. May I interest you in some trout?”

The Hylian nodded enthusiastically beside him. Sidon had to stifle a laugh — he could see the twinkle in Link’s eye as he looked at the array of fish. The vendor grabbed two skewers from his display and turned his attention to the Hylian with a warm smile.

“I hope you do not mind me saying that you look resplendent tonight, Master Link.” He hummed. “Zora jewelry suits you very well.”

Link blinked, a flush of pink rising to his cheeks when he processed what he had said. “O-oh! Um, thank you so much.” He laughed airily. “That — that’s very kind of you.”

“I only speak the truth, darling.”

The Zora Prince narrowed his eyes at that, subtly pulling the Hylian closer to him until their sides were pressed together. Apparently, though, he hadn’t been nearly discreet enough, because the vendor looked over at him and chuckled at the reaction.

“No need to worry about me, Your Highness. I am happily married.” He winked at him, took fish off the grill, and prepared them. “Besides, I am quite sure Master Link would _much_ rather prefer a Prince over a salesman. There is no need to try to intimidate me.”

It wasn’t until those words were out of the man’s mouth that Sidon realized, to his chagrin, that he had been rather violently flaring his gills at him. His face felt hot as he forced himself to calm down, only blushing harder when Link raised an eyebrow at him.

“A-Ah, my — my _deepest_ apologies, sir, I — I um,” He stammered, eternally grateful when the man took pity on him and handed them the fish. Almost frantically, he pulled out rupees and paid double the original price. “E-E-Enjoy the festival!”

The Zora vendor smiled. “May the sun, moon, and all the stars above smile upon you.”

Sidon dragged Link away from the tent with a quick _thank you._ The Hylian was already happily munching away on the fish, but still sent him a curious glance while they walked away.

“What was that about?” He asked.

The Prince took a bite out of his own skewer, enjoying all the umami flavors of the fish so much he felt insurmountably terrible for accidentally threatening to attack the old man. He half considered going back to apologize again.

“Um… n-nothing,” Sidon laughed clumsily. “Do not worry about it.”

Link smiled, expression skeptical as he took another bite. _“Aw,”_ He crooned, “Are you getting protective of me, Prince Sidon?”

Averting his eyes, the Zora struggled to swallow his next bite, and his silence was apparently all the Hylian needed to hum accusingly.

“I… I am sorry, Link. I know you can defend yourself just fine—”

“It’s okay,” The Hylian cut him off, leaning his weight into his side as they walked. The warmth radiating off of him made Sidon forget what he was about to say.

“I… really?”

“Yeah. Seeing you get so _fired up_ because you thought someone was trying to flirt with me?” Link smirked up at him, followed by a wink. “I really like it.”

He almost choked. “Y-you — you _what?”_

At this point, they had stopped moving. Or, more accurately, Sidon’s legs refused to move anymore, and the Hylian was just following his lead. Regardless, Link moved to stand in front of him, teeth tugging slightly at his bottom lip while he studied the Zora’s face. Sidon’s cheeks burned at the attention, but before he could say anything about it, the Hylian’s apparent façade broke. He let out an embarrassingly long, inelegant snort and was forced to double over as he cackled. The rest of his grilled fish, unfortunately having to face the cruel fate of gravity, slid off the skewer and plopped onto the ground.

“Oh my _goddess—”_ He wheezed between fits of laughter. _“You should see_ **_your face!”_ **

The Prince was, simply put, mortified. After a few more seconds Link straightened, forcing his expression into one that was so overdramatically flummoxed that Sidon couldn’t help but scoff and roll his eyes. The reaction made the Hylian lean his entire weight against his side again, laughter idiosyncratic enough that it was contagious.

“Ha, _ha,_ Link.” Sidon quipped, chuckling. _“Very_ funny.”

The two had been standing in the middle of the pathway; everyone in the vicinity had obviously been watching the entire time, because more than a handful of them were hiding smiles behind their hands. A prideful part of him made Sidon flush, knowing full well that none of them would ever _dare_ to laugh at their Prince like that, not even for a million rupees. But Link — Link was not them. He was _still_ laughing, even as he picked up the last quarter of the fish and threw it away. Smile so wide it was starting to strain his cheeks, Sidon heartily wrapped an arm around the Hylian to pull him even closer.

Link giggled and wrapped an arm around him too, though he was starting to calm down.

“Did you know that your tail wiggles when you’re embarrassed?” He teased.

Sidon huffed.

“I _did,_ actually.” Absentmindedly, he tucked a lock of hair behind Link’s ear, admiring the flush of pink that it brought to his cheeks. “It is involuntary, though. Did you know that you cry when you laugh too hard?”

The Hylian blinked at him, smiling bashfully as he wiped away the aforementioned tears, careful of the makeup there.

“I _did,_ actually.” He mimicked. “And it’s _also_ involuntary, for your information.”

Sidon laughed, and with their arms still wrapped around each other, he moved them to the right side of the pathway, leading them down the aisle again. The flame in his chest was a full-on fire now, only growing as they passed different booths, interacting with different attendees and vendors.

They all spoke to them as a couple — they thought they were _dating._

That made the Prince giddier, knowing that this wasn’t a fever dream. He let his glances last longer, made them more frequent. He even let Link catch him at times, subsequently smiling when the tips of his ears would turn pink at the attention. Sidon let his expressions become more affectionate, more besotted. He pulled Link closer whenever he wanted to, as much as he wanted to. He’d lean down to whisper something into his ear and feel satisfied when it made him laugh — feeling even _more_ satisfied when Link scoffed, rolled his eyes, and playfully pushed him away. 

Even through all these interactions, though, there was still logic trying to take over; thoughts stating that the Hylian was just a really good actor, that none of his reactions were genuine. Sidon was hyper aware of them. They stung. They coiled around his heart and they _hurt._ He spent so long repeating that to himself nonstop that he almost accepted it as fact. But even if it were true, and Link didn’t actually reciprocate any of his feelings… well…

At the very least, for tonight, he can let himself indulge in this. Because the way Link was looking at Sidon tonight made him feel like he was on cloud nine.

That high was probably what had made him so bold the next time they were able to be even closer together. Roped into watching a mini performance, they sat on a bench waiting for it to begin when Sidon saw his opportunity. Yawning much too theatrically, he stretched his arms out, and not so subtly wrapped one of them around the Hylian’s shoulder, pulling him closer until he was leaning against him. Link barked out a laugh and went easily.

“Goddess, Sidon,” He giggled, rolling his eyes so hard the Zora swore the world had tilted. “That was so _cheesy.”_

The Prince chuckled and leaned in so that he was more at face level with him. “Was it?” He crooned.

 _“Yes,_ yes it was.”

“I bet I can one-up it.”

Link cocked an eyebrow at him. “Are you seriously challenging _yourself_ right now?”

The Zora Prince grinned mischievously, keeping eye contact as he used his free hand to pick up one of the Hylian’s hands. Graciously ringing it up to his mouth, he pressed his lips to the middle of his knuckles, gentle and quick. A light pink blush painted Link’s cheekbones while he laughed airily, and the reaction only served to embolden him.

Without giving it a second thought, Sidon gently turned his hand over, expression morphing into something that he hoped was as sensual and titillating as he was trying to come across. If Link’s sharp intake of breath and slightly widened eyes was anything to go by, he succeeded. Slowly, the Prince kissed the center of his palm, intently gazing at the Hylian; he watched as his face rapidly turned beet red, the flush of color spreading to the tips of his ears. When Sidon finally let his hand go, Link stammered incoherently, ducked his head, and dropped his entwined hands to his lap.

 _“G-goddess,_ _Sidon,”_ He breathed shakily, so quiet he barely even heard it — but he _did,_ and it made his heart race. Although, it _also_ made the Zora realize what he had just done, and the heat that rose to his cheeks because of it was almost unbearable.

Behind them, someone loudly muttered, “Man, I know he’s our Prince and all, but they _really_ need to get a room.”

Hearing that, and processing Link’s reaction to his gesture, Sidon almost stopped breathing. Not only was that insanely inappropriate behavior for a Prince to display in public — he _kissed_ Link’s **_palm,_** for goddess’s sake — but the Hylian’s shyness seemed to stem more from coyness than embarrassment. Sidon’s own shame aside, he’s pretty sure he’s at least making progress. Maybe _now,_ the Hylian would understand what his true intentions were.

The weight of the opal necklaces still rested against his chest, in the pocket behind his sash, but it felt significantly lighter now. He was, surprisingly — even to himself — more confident in this than he ever has been before.

It also helped that he frequently caught Link staring at him before averting his eyes quickly, a bright red blush rising to his cheeks.

Bazz was right.

This outfit _was_ doing him favors.

They eventually left the performance once it was over, and after buying cotton candy — at Link’s request — they made their way down the aisle filled with stands of different games. Sidon was indulging in recounting his triumphant win against an abnormally sized octorok, and looked over at the Hylian to see his reaction, only to meet playfully skeptical eyes. He honestly would have been offended if it had been from anyone else.

“Oh, please,” Link snorted, hiding his face behind his cotton candy.

“What? I am serious!” Sidon laughed, ducking his head to get a better look at the Hylian, spreading his arms as they walked. “It completely engulfed me!”

“And you just _happened_ to have your spear with you.”

“Yes, I did! You know, Link, I am not a trained Prince for nothing.”

The Hylian giggled, shaking his head, smiling as he took a handful of the sugar confection and popped it into his mouth. “Oh, really? I thought you had all those muscles just to show off how handsome you are.”

“H—” Sidon stammered, and when Link looked up at him, he could _feel_ himself rapidly turning teal.

Apparently, all the confidence he had garnered from being so scandalously bold earlier went out the window the second the Hylian flirted back. He didn’t even know if it was being done consciously or not.

“… H-Handsome?”

Link cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

“Y-you think I’m… you think I’m handsome?” He choked out.

The Hylian began to smile a bit wider, opening his mouth to respond when a sudden, high-pitched screech in front of them cut him off. Stopping mid-step, they both stilled as they looked over to where all the commotion was coming from.

_“That’s not fair!”_

“Yeah, well, life isn’t fair, kid. Keep the line moving.”

A group of Zora children of varying ages stood in front of a tent that was, upon looking closer, hosting an archery game. A blue, male Zora was leaning against the table of the booth there, yawning insouciantly while he watched the crowd in front of him complain.

“Finn, what the hell is your problem?!” One of the older kids hissed.

A younger Zora gasped and tugged at his hand urgently. _“Eevan!_ Mom said you can’t say the ‘H’ word!”

Link moved first; making his way over with his cape fluttering behind him, he yelled out “What’s going on over here?” as he got closer. A beat passed before Sidon realized what he was doing and promptly followed suit.

The Zora man — Finn, that kid had said — looked up at Link with dull eyes and a neutral face. There was palpable hostility rolling off of him when the Hylian got near, and that only made the Prince walk faster to catch up.

“Five rupees a game.” The man said plainly.

“No! Mister Link, don’t!” One kid whined.

Another kid tsked, elbowing him. “It’s _Master_ Link.”

The Hylian waved his hand dismissively, smiling down at them. “It’s fine, don’t worry. You can just call me Link.” He met the man’s gaze again. “Want to tell me why you got a whole group of upset children here?”

Finn lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Not particularly.”

Sidon stopped in front of the tent, the man’s eyes flickering to him for a second before looking back over at Link, just as nonchalant as ever.

“Finn isn’t letting us get our prizes, even though we all won.” An older kid explained. 

The Prince, upon looking him over, realized that he held himself like the leader of the group. With the way the other kids practically stood behind him, that was most likely the case. He tried not to, but Sidon couldn’t help noticing the flush of teal on his face in Link’s presence, which only got brighter when the Hylian smiled gratefully at him.

Goddess, he’s been there before.

The Zora man scoffed and rolled his eyes. “No, I’m not, and for _good reason._ The rules clearly say to knock down every bottle up there.”

“And we _did!”_ A few cries rang out, which Finn only sighed heavily at.

Link crossed his arms.

“Verdict says otherwise,” He hissed.

“Listen, **_boytoy,”_ ** Finn growled — the Hylian’s shoulders stiffened. “I’m gonna explain this real nice and slow for you. There are five rounds to this game, and you have to pay for each one. No one gets a prize until they knock down every single jar in every single round.”

“Excuse me?!” Link snapped. “I’m not a _boytoy.”_

“Oh, come on. Why else would Prince Sidon pick a Hylian as his ‘boyfriend?’”

A low, guttural snarl involuntarily left Sidon as he stepped closer, practically seeing red. All the children’s eyes widened at the display, and they collectively took a few quick steps back to get out of the way.

“What exactly is **_that_ **supposed to mean?!” The Prince growled.

The Zora man sighed dismissively, and honestly, Sidon deserved a medal or something for the herculean effort he put behind _not_ tackling him then and there.

Finn kept his sneer on the Hylian. “Everyone knows you’re supposed to be dead.” He grinned, adding in a tone dripping with acid, _“Master Link._ You really expect me to think that you’re anything but a little trophy wife?”

Link stayed quiet, but the Prince noted the way his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white, the way his aura switched to something much, much darker. He’d have pulled him away had he not been just as livid.

“And, by the way, I think this whole saving Hyrule thing is utter bullshit. Like, look at you. What the hell is a man as tiny as you able to do? Other than being a courtesan, of course.”

The last straw. Sidon snapped, stormed forwards, only distantly processing the fact that he was snarling again. He was just a few feet away from Finn when Link shot out his arm, with enough strength put into it that it immediately stopped him in his tracks.

 _“Link,”_ The Prince insisted.

The Hylian ignored him and calmly sauntered forwards, fixing a glare on the blue Zora as he pulled out five rupees. Suddenly, he slammed it onto the desk, the action making such a resounding thud it was a miracle neither the table nor the rupee had shattered. Finn, however, didn’t even flinch.

“Give me the bow.” Link ordered.

The man chuckled, reached behind the desk, and handed him a wooden bow with a quiver full of arrows.

“Looks like I hit a small nerve there, eh?”

“L-Link—” Sidon stammered. “What are you—”

The Hylian treated the bow as if it were his own, testing the strength of it for a few seconds before snatching an arrow out of the quiver. Blue eyes finally landed on him, and the Prince stilled. They felt like ice, an ire blazing behind them so violently that for a split second, Sidon almost felt sorry for Finn. 

… Almost.

“Stay out of this, Sidon.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Taking much more than a few steps back, the group of children — and new spectators that had gathered — saw him and immediately followed his lead. The Prince angled himself enough so he could see Link’s hard set and dangerously neutral face. If he was being honest, it was hypnotizing to see the Hylian like this — he’s _never_ seen this side of him. Looking back, not even when they had calmed Vah Ruta together. Sidon has seen Link get annoyed, disgruntled, but he’s never seen him get lethal to the point that even a glance felt knifelike.

And as he took in the Hylian’s figure, tall and proud and _strong,_ the Zora Prince revered.

Link’s cape fluttered, the fabric of his tunic stretching across his chest as he aimed an arrow at the assortment of jars on the display. His chest slowly rose and fell, and then, with no warning at all, the Hylian began to shoot arrows with so much force that every single target shattered on impact. Finn jumped back, eyes widening at the scene unfolding in front of him; Sidon couldn’t help but smile. Link’s motions became more violent and erratic up until the very last target was gone, leaving the floor behind the desk covered in glass. He lowered the bow as the crowd behind them let out a resounding cheer.

Finn, on the other hand, bared his teeth with a snarl at the Hylian.

“You _fucker,_ you just destroyed all of my targets!”

“Oh, am I supposed to feel _fucking_ sorry for you?!” Link hissed back.

He strode towards him, shoving the bow and quiver into the man’s chest with enough force that he flinched.

“Here’s the thing, _Finn.”_ Link fumed, and the man shuffled back, giving the Hylian the chance to trap him in front of the desk. All the color in the Zora’s face drained, eyes widened in clear terror. “Let’s get something straight. I am **_not_ ** a _boytoy._ I am **_not_ ** a _trophy wife._ I am **_not_ ** a _courtesan._ My body doesn’t **belong** to anybody, _I_ do not **belong** to anybody, and me dating Prince Sidon is no fucking different! He may be your Prince, but _I_ am the _Hero of Hyrule!_ I will not take _any_ shit from _anyone,_ especially not from someone who has never been repeatedly pushed to the brink of dying in order to save an **_entire_ ** _population!_ A man as ‘tiny as me’ defeated Calamity Ganon so that ungrateful little bitches like you could have another sad, pathetic day to breathe! So don’t you _ever_ fucking say that bigoted shit to me again, because next time, I won’t hesitate to put your ass **_six feet under!”_ **

Finn nodded rapidly, eyes jerkily darting to the Prince as if he wanted him to do something. He didn’t give him the courtesy of looking back.

Taking a slow, deep breath, Link stepped back, wiping imaginary dust off of his tunic as he cleared his throat. After a few beats of silence, he straightened his back, clasped his hands in front of him, and locked eyes with Finn.

“… I hope you enjoy the festival.” Link smiled, calm and collected.

The blue Zora didn’t even hesitate — he practically sprinted off, the only possessions with him a flimsy bow and a quiver half full of arrows. It sounded as if the crowd outside the tent burst into cheers again, but Sidon ignored them, already walking towards the stiff figure of the Hylian that was still standing in place. Once he was beside him, he knelt down, gingerly placed a hand against his shoulder blades, and rubbed small circles there.

“Hey,” He muttered. Link let out a bone-deep sigh, closing his eyes as he leaned into his touch. “Are you okay?”

“… Yeah, I think so.”

A few seconds passed before he looked up at the Prince with a wide, bright smile, eyes sparkling with triumph. Sidon was hit with the sudden, _desperate_ urge to kiss Link until he was out of breath, to kiss him until his lips were swollen and bruised from the attention. He somehow managed to keep his composure, though.

“Um… s-sorry about that,” Link laughed airily, “I didn’t mean to lose my temper — well, I guess, at least not _that_ much.”

Sidon grinned. “It’s okay. He was kind of a prick.”

Link blinked at him before barking out a laugh, about to quip at him when high pitched squealing cut him off. An _oof!_ left the Hylian as a group of unrestrained, elated Zora children bombarded him, all laughing while they wrapped their tiny arms around his legs in what was obviously meant to be a hug. Sidon chuckled at the sight, stood up, and leaned against the desk of the tent to give them room. The older kids from earlier ran over, apologizing profusely while they tried to peel the younger ones off of Link. The Hylian, however, was laughing just as loud the entire time, eventually just walking towards the front of the tent with some of them still clinging to him. Sidon could feel his eyes soften when Link — once the kids finally freed him — began to jump to grab plushies off of their display at the top of the entrance. Plushies were handed off to any child that wanted them, who all thanked the Hylian eagerly before running off.

After a few minutes of this, the Hylian glanced over at him, radiant and dreamlike under the yellow festoon lights strung around the festival.

“You should be _helping_ me, y’know.” Link huffed and jumped up to grab a fox plushie, the girl he gave it to hugging it tightly as she walked away. “You’re taller than me.”

Sidon hummed in mock contemplation.

“… Yes, that _is_ true… but I must admit that I am _greatly_ enjoying the view from here.” He teased, and even threw in a wink for good measure. 

The tips of Link’s ears fluttered rapidly in response. The Prince didn’t even _know_ they could do that — he thought it was painstakingly adorable. He wanted to see it again. The Hylian, on the other hand, turned bright red and scoffed, mouth twitching into a smile as he grabbed another plushie and generously chucked it at Sidon’s face. The Prince laughed, easily catching it in mid-air and handing it off to a kid when he ran up to claim it.

 _“Dear goddess,_ Prince Sidon, have some decency!” Link tittered despite his attempt to scold him. “There are **_children_ ** around!”

“What? I am allowed to admire my boyfriend in public.”

The response was quite obviously tongue-in-cheek, but good goddess Sidon just couldn’t seem to stay quiet. Flirting with the Hylian like this was entertaining — seeing his cheeks turn crimson because of it didn’t hurt, either — but he was definitely starting to tread dangerous waters again. Link, for his credit, just raised an amused eyebrow at him.

“At least keep the ogling to a minimum, _Prince Charming.”_

With a smug smile, Link turned his focus back to handing out plushies again. Sidon was almost positive that the original group of children that had been here already left, but something told him that the Hylian knew that too, so he just waited until the last toy was handed off. Link was in the middle of wiping his hands off on his trousers when the Prince swiftly sidled up to him to wrap an arm around his shoulder.

“Another day of vigilante justice.” Sidon proclaimed. The Hylian laughed and shook his head fondly, leaning into the embrace. “I must say, Link, that the intensity of your prowess is terrifying.”

“What do you mean?”

“Good goddess, you sent that man running with his tail between his legs — do not get me wrong, he absolutely deserved it,” he laughed, “but I have no doubt I would have done the same had your ire been directed at me.”

Link smiled. _“Aw._ Do I intimidate you, Prince Sidon?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “… I suppose you could say that.”

“Really now?” The Hylian lightly tugged at his bottom lip with his teeth; Sidon had to focus very hard on not staring. “That’s interesting… so, tell me — are you going to break up with me over it?”

“Wh—” The Prince frowned slightly. “Why would you think that I would break up with you over it?”

“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but most men would leave if they thought their partner was stronger than them.”

“… Well,” He chuckled, flashed his famous grin at him. “I am not _‘most men,’_ am I, Link?”

The Hylian paused, regarding him for a few seconds before his expression softened significantly. Sidon felt his own do the same in tandem.

“… No.” The corners of Link’s lips quirked up into a slight smile. “No, you’re not.”

They stared at each other, nonmoving, nonspeaking, until the Zora realized neither had done anything for a long while. Clearing his throat, his cheeks burned as he straightened his posture.

“Well, I do say that it is _your_ turn now, is it not?”

The Hylian cocked an eyebrow. “… What? What do you mean, it’s _‘my turn now’?_ My turn for what?”

“Why, your turn for a prize, of course.”

With a grin, Sidon began to lead them down the aisle again, weaving around all the other attendees to reach another section of the festival. Before long, they stopped in front of a space bordered with a fence, and in the middle, a high striker. Link raised his eyebrows and let out a surprised laugh, leaning against the railing while Sidon paid the owner for a turn.

“Trying to impress me, Prince Sidon?” The Hylian crooned.

The Prince blushed at how transparent his plan apparently was, but took his place in front of the base of the tower anyway, looking up to meet bright blue eyes.

“And what if I am?” He replied, hopefully just as confident as he meant for it to be.

The Hylian’s mouth slowly stretched into a smile, pink stained cheeks only complimenting his glow. There were a few spectators nearby — clearly gathered to watch their Prince’s performance — who were laughing goodheartedly at the exchange. He hesitated with the audience, but eventually Sidon threw all caution to the wind and winked at Link, feeling a rush of pride course through him when his ears fluttered just like before.

“Here you go, Prince Sidon,” The owner handed him the mallet, which he took while adjusting his stance.

Like this, Sidon’s back was to Link, but he practically prayed to Hylia that he was watching him. He was confident in his stature, in his physique. He was also acutely aware that there _were_ people there just to ogle, if the giggling in the background while he rolled his shoulders was anything to go by.

If it were any other year, Sidon wouldn’t even have _dared_ to think about showing off in such a public setting. It just wasn’t something he found much appeal in outside of the training grounds, because in his opinion, it was deplorable at worst, tacky and garish at best. Honestly, it was the same as standing on top of a table and announcing that he was _achingly_ single and desperate.

But this wasn’t any other year. This year, to the public eye, he and Link were in a relationship. People were _expecting_ him to show off for him. The Hylian had already showed off earlier; it was only right that he returns the favor. Sidon lifted the mallet above his head, lining up to hit the base of the tower, making sure to twist his body in a way that he knew would make his back muscles ripple and his biceps flex.

He swung. The mallet slammed against the base of the tower with a loud thud, the bell quickly reverberating at the very top sending affirmation coursing through his veins. It made him grin, straighten his back, and look over his shoulder.

Link was watching him, wearing an expression full of fondness that made butterflies flutter in Sidon’s stomach. There were cheers in the air as everyone else present congratulated him, some going as far as squealing his name to catch his attention. It didn’t matter, though. The Hylian lifted his hands, signed _Prince Charming_ at him with a demure smile, and somehow, he had been the loudest person there.

Almost absentmindedly, Sidon smiled weakly back at him, feeling light walking over to the owner to receive the plushie he had requested previously. As he did, the vendor chuckled, suddenly shouting out,

“Wow, Link!” He winked. “I bet those muscles make you _real_ happy in bed, don’t they?”

The Prince’s hand slipped, landing on the desk with a loud thud, his face rapidly turning bright teal while he incoherently stammered out protests.

“Yes, they do!” Link responded happily.

A beat of silence. Two. And then, the crowd around them broke out into a jarring chorus of laughter, whoops, and crude wolf whistles. Sidon sharply spun on his heel so he could look at him, and Link, upon seeing his expression, froze, smile faltering as he furrowed his eyebrows in thought. The Prince could practically _see_ the moment a lightbulb went off in his head because the poor Hylian turned bright, _bright_ red.

“O-Oh! _No,_ I didn’t—!” He choked out, eyes going wide as the laughter around them increased in volume. “I just meant that—! He — Sidon, h-he holds me every night! _Not—”_

The owner guffawed. “Dear goddess, you two! **_Every_ ** _night?!”_

The Prince’s face went impossibly hotter, and he laughed brokenly, trying — and failing — to put on an air of playing it off. When that only encouraged everyone to get louder, he cleared his throat, practically snatched the plushie from the owner, squeaked out what he hoped had some semblance to _thank you,_ and dragged Link away all in a matter of seconds.

Thankfully, no one followed them. Once they arrived at a comparably emptier space, Sidon sat the two of them down on some benches nearby, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.

“I — S-Sidon, I’m _so sorry—”_ Link stuttered, still beet red. “I-I didn’t realize—”

The Prince glanced down at him, smiled as gently as he could manage, and rested a hand at the small of the Hylian’s back. He noticeably relaxed at the touch.

“It is okay, Link, it — it is not your fault. Not at all.”

“Your _reputation,_ oh my goddess—” He groaned, burying his face in his hands. “I can’t believe I said that without _thinking—”_

“It is fine, I promise. It smelled strongly of alcohol over there, so hopefully, they were inebriated enough that—”

“But what if—”

“—and if _not,"_ Sidon spoke over him. “We have been doing a pretty good job at damage control so far, have we not?”

The words hung in the air for a bit before Link nodded slowly, peeking up at him through his fingers. “Still, though.” He let out another pained groan. “They probably think that you’re a — a _horndog,_ or something—”

The Zora laughed heartily.

 _“We’re.”_ He corrected.

“… What?”

Sidon leaned into his personal space, intentionally adopting a subtle leer. “You did imply that it was _both_ of us, Link. They probably think that _we’re_ horndogs.”

The Hylian blinked at him before blushing harder, laughing as he pushed Sidon away. The Prince grinned, leaned in, and chuckled when Link shoved him again.

“Was that — was that supposed to make me _feel_ better?! That’s even **_worse!”_ ** He scowled — attempted a scowl, at least — he was still giggling. “I can’t believe you!”

“What, would you rather it just be me who is being accused of being so libidinous?”

“Yes! I do!”

“Wow, Link, I am hurt,” Sidon sniffed, theatrically crossed his arms across his chest, and looked away. “I am wounded, _demoralized._ Affronted, even. And to think I went through all that trouble to win a plushie for you.”

The Hylian’s laughter slowly faded away into thin air. The Prince stilled, looking back over at him in concern, gaze flickering across his subdued features.

“… Wait… really?” Link asked.

Sidon frowned slightly. “What else would I do that game for?”

“I—” He blushed and averted his eyes. “I… I thought you were just trying to show off.”

 _“… Wow._ If I was not affronted before, well, I sure am now.”

Link guffawed, the force of it making him lean his weight against his side, and the Zora couldn’t help it; he laughed and leaned in a little, too. Eventually, they managed to fall silent, but then they looked at each other, paused, and broke out into hysterics again. It didn’t matter to Sidon — at least at that moment — if there were going to be repercussions for what happened at the high striker game or not. Being able to sit there with the Hylian made it more than worth it.

Once they were finally able to calm down, Sidon picked up the plushie he had discarded beside him, realizing much too late that in his rush, he had picked up the wrong one. Upon seeing it though, the Hylian let out a pleased noise, taking it from his hands.

“A shark?” He met his eyes incredulously. “That’s rather conceited of you.”

Sidon blushed. “Well, I — I _meant_ to grab the deer plushie, but I was a bit more focused on getting us out of there.”

Link lifted the shark to look into its eyes, a wrinkle forming between his brows as he thought. The Prince shifted uncomfortably as the silence stretched, about to open his mouth to speak when the Hylian nodded once, confidently.

“Sharky.”

Sidon blinked. “… Pardon?”

“His name is Sharky.” Link smiled and lifted Sharky up to look at him. Its eyes stared blankly into Sidon’s soul. “He told me himself.”

The Prince looked down at the Hylian over its head, saw how endearingly bright his eyes were, and huffed out a laugh as he pushed the toy back down.

“Sharky is not a very original name for a shark plushie, Link. You just added a ‘y’ at the end.”

“Gasp! How _dare_ you!” Harrumphing, he pulled the plushie into his arms. “Don’t listen to him, Sharky. He’s just jealous your name is cooler than his.”

Sidon chuckled, reaching for Sharky, and snorting when Link stuck his tongue at him, tightening his embrace around the plushie.

“I want to apologize to Sharky!”

 _“No!”_ Link turned his nose up at him. “Don’t ever speak to me or my son again.”

He barked out a laugh. “Your son? I am the one who got you him, so he is _my_ son too!”

“I took custody of him in the divorce.” The Hylian huffed.

“We are not married!”

“I said what I said, Sidon.” Link’s lips were twitching, a clear sign that he was trying to hold back a smile.

The Prince grinned, humming as he tried to figure out a way to distract him when a couple of Zora children ran up to him, begging for him to go and play with them. Meeting Link’s eyes, he put as much apology as he could in his expression as the kids pulled at his hands, but the Hylian just shrugged and shooed him off. As they played a round of tag, however, he met the eyes of a group of parents nearby who were staring at Link with lours, the expressions promptly wiping off their face when they realized Sidon had caught them. 

A bitter taste rose to the back of his throat — the night had definitely not been without background airs of condescension. Other than Finn, who had been the most direct about his opposition to the two, Sidon _had_ heard the whispers from other attendees, _had_ seen the occasional disapproving looks sent their way. Whenever he noticed, he would speak louder or walk a bit faster to put distance between them. But if the sporadic shadow that cast in the Hylian’s eyes was anything to go by, it had been in vain; he had detected them too.

The game of tag finally ended after a few rounds; Sidon having purposefully lost each one because it made the kids smile wider. They ran back to the circle of parents nearby, and as the Prince walked past, he narrowed his eyes at them, flaring his gills ever so slightly. Abashed, they all hurriedly walked away.

Link was still over on the bench from earlier, absentmindedly petting the plushie in his lap and staring off into the distance — noticeably, in the opposite direction of where the parents had been. When Sidon got closer, he looked up at him, his barely-there-smile languid and weary.

“You lost,” He commented.

The Zora shrugged. “Yes, but it was on purpose.”

“Are you sure? Or are you just too proud to admit that a couple of kids beat you fair and square?” The Hylian teased; Sidon smiled, huffed, and crouched so that he was closer to face level. Link tilted his head at him amusedly. “Well hi there, Mr. Prince Sidon.”

“Hello, Mr. Master Link.” Chuckling, he rested a hand on the Hylian’s knee and slowly rubbed circles there with his thumb. He softened his gaze. “… Are you tired?”

His expression turned abashed. “Um… y-yeah, kind of. Sorry, is it — is it obvious?”

“Just a little. Would you like to go somewhere else to rest for a bit?”

“Hm… it depends. Is this _somewhere else_ private?”

The Prince thought for a bit, pursing his lips. “It is not… _one hundred_ percent private since we cannot leave the actual festival until after the performance later. But I do promise that no one will know we are in there.”

“Scandalous,” Link tittered, dusting off his pants as he stood up. “Yeah, that sounds good. Lead the way, captain.”

With a grin, the Prince wrapped an arm around him, and led them to a line of tall, empty tents. At the last tent on the right, Sidon lifted the flap so Link could enter, dropping it once he was inside too. The tent had soft lighting — a few luminous stones at every corner of the roof. It had a few rows of tables, and the Hylian made his way over to one against a wall, hopping up so he could sit on it.

“How’d you know these were back here?” Link asked, placing Sharky beside him.

“Um, they always leave a few tents empty for extra seating and such,” Sidon explained, following behind him. “And, of course, as well as for people who need a break from all the noise. Actually, I was… I was the one who requested for these to be put here every year.”

The Hylian watched him carefully as the Zora settled to his right, leaning against the table with his hands.

“Why?”

The Prince closed his eyes, tasted the words on his tongue, could already feel tears pricking his eyes. He half considered brushing the subject off. It was melancholic, and Sidon wanted Link to have a good time — didn’t want him to think about any type of suffering. But then, he looked over, met worried eyes, decidedly swallowed his pride, and took a deep, shaky breath.

“… The Champion’s Festival was meant to be a celebration of Mipha, but… I did not exactly grasp the ‘celebration’ aspect until a couple of decades ago.” He let out a huff, meant to be a laugh, but even to him, it sounded sardonic.

“I used to constantly keep myself busy: pile on paperwork, take on tasks that I did not need to, train until I was beyond exhaustion, just so I would not have time to think. If I did, I would… I would think about my sister.” He could sense Link angling his body to look at him better. Sidon bit the inside of his cheek before continuing. “I was so _young_ back then, so of course I was naturally going to lose memories of our time together, but… I blamed myself for it anyway. I just — I desperately wanted to remember more. It was painful and self-destructive. At one point, I had even convinced myself that I… that I could have done something to save her if I had just been stronger.”

“… Sidon…” Link whispered.

The Zora tried to steady his breath, tried to blink away tears that were threatening to fall. A few seconds passed before Link gingerly put a hand over his; Sidon turned his palm and held it instead.

“The Champion’s Festival was the one day that it was guaranteed I would not be able to avoid thinking about her. It was too much. I… I would often run off; either up to the reservoir, back into the palace, or if I were too late, I would just hide behind tents and hope no one saw or heard me break down… that is why…” He looked over at the Hylian, but quickly averted his eyes again. “… That is why I asked for these tents to be put here. Privacy, a space where I and others could go to when we were overwhelmed.”

Link squeezed his hand, gently. Sidon squeezed back.

“Um… the first… the very first Champion’s Festival, Bazz had—” He choked out a laugh, and hated how it sounded wet. “Bazz saw me run up to the reservoir. He said that he did not even know what to do, because he thought it was inappropriate for him to follow the Prince around.” Link smiled, albeit weakly. “But um… he did eventually go after me. I had been feeling so… so… abandoned. I could not even go to my father, because it just felt even worse to see him so anguished when he looked at me — I knew he was reminded of Mipha when he did. He never told me, but I… I knew.”

His voice was getting hoarse, starting to sound clogged, and when the Hylian pressed his side against his, the tears he had desperately been trying to hold back began to fall.

“I sat on the deck, just staring at the spot where Vah Ruta was dormant, and Bazz just… sat next to me, started asking me questions to distract me. I do not even clearly remember the conversation now,” a weak, airy laugh, “but… I remember snapping, yelling at him because I did not want to talk, because I just wanted to be left alone. He… Bazz did not even get mad. He simply stopped talking… but he… he stayed there with me until I felt better. He refused to leave.” He smiled, sniffed wetly. “At the time that made me inconceivably angry but now I am… I am eternally grateful. Even I do not know what I would have done had I really been left alone.”

“After that… eventually Bazz could tell when I was starting to get overwhelmed, even before I could. Every year he would comfort me until I felt better; it did not matter if he had been in the middle of doing something or not.” He choked out another wet laugh. “He lost a lot of dates that way. But any time I tried to tell him to stay with the girl he was with, he would say, _bro, if even after explaining the situation to her, she still refuses to understand why I need to be alone with you for an hour or so, she wasn’t going to be worth it anyway.”_

The Hylian huffed out a small laugh at his attempt to mimic Bazz. Silence fell between them for a few long, long seconds before Link moved, wrapping his arms around him, and pulled him into a hug. Sidon sunk into the embrace — just being so close to the Hylian was starting to make him feel better already.

“I’m glad Bazz was there for you.” Link mumbled, pulling back slightly to look at his face and smiled softly. He lifted a hand to wipe the Zora’s tears away with his thumb, and cupped his cheek when he was done. “I’m so, _so_ proud of you for getting through that. I can only imagine how difficult that was for you, especially since you were still just a kid. Being a Prince in of itself is a lot of pressure… adding grief to it must have been so overwhelming.”

Sidon’s lips quirked up a bit, gazing at the Hylian, but his smile faded as he realized just how wet his cheeks were, how puffy his eyes felt.

“Goddess, Link I—” He laughed airily, harshly wiping at his eyes. “… I am sorry you had to see me in such a moment of weakness.”

The Hylian let out a noise that sounded like _tchah!,_ grabbed ahold of his hands, and pulled them down into his lap. He looked up at him with so much warmth it felt like rays of sun. The Zora wanted to bask in them forever.

“You don’t have to apologize for crying, Sidon.” Link whispered. “There’s no need to apologize for letting yourself show emotions. Thank you for trusting me with all of this.”

The Prince blinked at him, smiling softly, chest feeling tight as tears began to collect in his eyes again. Link’s expression faltered.

“Oh, _Sidon,_ I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to make you cry again—”

He chuckled softly. “No, no, I just… I am just very grateful for you, Link. Thank you for not thinking any less of me.”

Link snorted fondly. “Of _course_ I’m not going to think any less of you, Sidon. If anything, I should be the one saying that. I feel like I’ve cried in front of you more times than I can count.” He let go of the Zora’s hands, and Sidon slowly let them drop back by his sides — let himself settle back to where he was before. “You don’t have to thank me for being a decent person.”

The Hylian grinned at him; the Prince returned it shyly.

Silence fell between them, and as it stretched, Sidon swallowed thickly, hands unconsciously moving to fiddle with his sash. Thankfully, the two bags with the opal necklaces were still there.

They were alone. This would be the perfect time to take them out, but… what if Link doesn’t…

With a start, Sidon remembered Link’s smile as he walked down the stairs in his new outfit that only grew wider the longer they held eye contact. Sidon remembered the nervous tone in his voice as they greeted each other, remembered the way Link laughed when he couldn’t seem to tie his sentences together. He remembered their banter throughout the night, remembered how Link would blush at his carefully curated flirtatious quips. Sidon remembered the way Link defended himself against Finn, the prowess in his form only making the Zora Prince admire him even more.

Sidon remembered the way Link reacted to his moment of vulnerability just now, how he didn’t look down on him for showing weakness. He accepted him the way he was, flaws and all.

He took a deep breath, making sure to feel the air as it filled his diaphragm, so he knew he was present in the moment. He could do this.

“Um… L-Link?”

“Hm?”

Sidon could feel his hands tremble pulling out one of the bags from his pocket, but he pushed through.

“I have… um, I would like… I want you to—”

The fabric of Link’s outfit rustled quietly as he sat up, paying closer attention. The Prince swallowed thickly, words failing to roll off his tongue like he planned. A flush of heat rose to his face at his stumbling, so he closed his mouth, gingerly grabbed one of Link’s hands, turned his palm upwards, and placed the bag there. The Hylian brought the bag closer to himself once Sidon let go, pausing for a few seconds before looking up at the Zora with a cocked eyebrow.

“Sidon…?” He asked. “What is this?”

“It’s… I… I-I would like you to have it. It is um… you can open it.” 

Link stared at him curiously for a few more seconds, looked down at the bag, and pulled at the strings, gasping once it opened.

“Oh… _Sidon,_ I—” He whispered breathlessly. Taking out the necklace, he held the opal in his hands, rubbing his thumb across the colorful markings as he made eye contact again. “It’s… it’s beautiful, I… I,” he huffed out a laugh, shook his head slightly, “goddess, Sidon, you’re making me look _really_ bad right now.”

The Prince blinked. Well… he supposed he had to give Link credit. Out of every single plausible reaction he had been stressing over the entire evening, _that_ one hadn’t crossed his mind at all.

“I…” He blinked again, and frowned. “I beg your pardon?”

“Well, Sidon, you didn’t—!” Link laughed, pushing at his shoulder lightly. _“Stop frowning!”_ He complied, albeit warily. “I just meant that you didn’t tell me you were going to give me gifts today. I didn’t get you _anything_ and this is your second one!” He waved the necklace in his face to get his point across. “Sidon, you’re making me look bad!”

The Prince stilled before huffing out a laugh himself, straightening his posture and clearing his throat.

“Oh, I see. My apologies, Link. But, um… there is really no need because I… I um…”

He hesitantly took out the other bag, watching nervously as the Hylian’s eyebrows rose to his hairline.

“You… wait, you got us matching necklaces?”

Sidon winced at the disbelief in his voice. “I-I thought… um, I thought that you would… like it, but — but if you do not, I — well I suppose I _could_ return them—”

Link barked out a laugh. “Wh — _return_ them? Sidon, you—! You _ridiculous_ man, I—”

Cutting himself off this time, the Hylian pulled the chain over his head, smiling triumphantly when the opal fell just above his heart with a small _thump._

“There! Can’t return it now _._ It’s being used. You’d have to pry this off my cold, dead body if you want it back.”

He stuck his tongue out at him, the gesture unbearably endearing. The Prince chuckled airily, in the middle of admiring the light flush of pink on Link’s cheeks when, suddenly, the Hylian reached for the bag in his hand.

“Come here,” He said, pulling the necklace out and quickly working on unclasping it.

“Wh—” Sidon started, breath hitching when Link grinned at him, yanking at his sash to pull him down. He fumbled, hands landing on either side of the Hylian, and found himself dangerously close to his face. Link paused, processing what he just did before turning bright red. “O-oh, I…”

They blinked at each other, lips just a few meager inches away from each other. It would be _so_ easy for Sidon to just—

“S-Sorry,” Link laughed nervously. “I-I didn’t, um… hold on,” he muttered, moving to wrap the chain around his neck.

He leaned in at an angle to secure it, their cheeks grazing ever so slightly, blond hair brushing against Sidon’s face, soft breaths tickling his shoulder. As much as the Zora tried not to, he took in the Hylian’s smell — it was sweet, comforting and… intoxicating. Whatever cologne they had put on him was making his head feel fuzzy. A strong urge to wrap Link in his arms washed over him, but thankfully, a click sounded, and the Hylian pulled away before he could do anything.

“There.” He whispered, his hands slid gingerly down Sidon’s neck, hovered over his shoulders for a few seconds, then dropped to his lap.

The Prince cleared his throat, going back to the distance he had been at before. He kept his eyes on Link, expression feeling vulnerable and borderline cloying, but he didn’t bother to dial it back. The Zora _wanted_ him to see it, _wanted_ him to see how much he adored him. And when the Hylian _did_ look over at him, he blushed harder, eyes darting between him and seemingly anywhere else in the tent. Finally, his gaze landed on his lap.

“Sidon, stop—” He laughed airily, a smile tugging at his lips. _“Stop it.”_

He grinned. “Stop what?”

“Stop…” Link met his eyes, cheeks turning crimson as he looked away again. “Stop looking at me like that.”

Sidon swallowed thickly, reminding himself that they — or at least, _he_ had been — flirting all evening. He’s set the foundations for what he wants, he just… needs to take a leap of faith.

He took a step closer.

“Why? Am I… Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“N-No, no, Sidon, not at all! It’s just — you just… you’ve just…”

Another step closer. “I’ve just what?”

Their voices had fallen to whispers, soft, gentle, as if anyone else were even around to hear them. A few beats of silence passed before the golden fan of Link’s lashes fluttered. Demure, refulgent blue eyes looked up at him, complemented by red-stained cheeks.

“You’ve just… been so… _nice_ to me tonight, and I…” His eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. “I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve any of it.”

Sidon frowned, slightly. “Why would you say that?”

“Because… b-because we’re not—” He bit his lip, gesturing vaguely as he huffed out a laugh that held a soft quaver. “This isn’t — w — we’re not _actually—”_

“Link.”

The Prince hesitated before lifting a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear. He was close enough to hear the Hylian’s breath hitch when he brushed his thumb against his cheek, cupped his face once he saw that Link wasn’t going to move away. His skin felt as warm as it looked.

“Dating or not… I…” He swallowed thickly — _leap of faith._ “I cannot deny the fact that you look beautiful tonight.”

The beat of his heart was _pounding_ away in his ears, so loud that he barely even heard Link’s half-hearted scoff. Unsuccessfully biting back a smile, he looked away.

“Goddess, Sidon — y-you’re overexaggerating—”

“No.” He insisted. “No, if anything… if anything, I am... _vastly_ under-exaggerating.”

The Hylian’s ears fluttered, a flush of red spreading to the tips of them. _“S-Sidon—”_

“I mean it, Link.”

Placing his free hand over Link’s, he squeezed it gently, hoping to goddess Hylia herself that the man was starting to become aware of what he was trying to do. Eyes meeting once more, the Zora desperately craved, yearned, _longed_ for those lips to press against his.

“You… y-you look absolutely _stunning.”_ Sidon whispered, breathlessly.

The Hylian’s lips quirked a bit more, and he pushed at his chest playfully, hand hesitating before resting there completely. The Prince wondered if Link could feel just how fast his heart beat for him.

“… Sidon…”

“Yes?”

The Hylian slowly pulled his other hand free, moving it to instead cradle Sidon’s face. His fingers delicately curled under his jaw, just like they had the first time they kissed, out on his balcony. The Prince took a step closer. It all felt like a trance, fragile enough that it would break if they so much as took too loud of a breath.

“… Sidon,” Link whispered again, thumb lightly caressing his cheek.

“Yes?”

That _gaze._ It was a look that Sidon _never_ thought Link would ever be giving him, a look he had only ever _dreamed_ of being directed at him. It left his throat tight, pulled at his heartstrings, left him dumbstruck from how sincere it was.

It was moments like these that the Prince would have thought, would have _convinced_ himself, that Link was an amazing actor. But not now. No.

Now, he desperately prayed to anyone listening that this was real.

“You’re…” The Hylian’s eyes flickered to his lips for a split second but Sidon _saw_ it, focused on it, let Link see him do the same. “You’re going to have to be careful being so sweet to me. Otherwise…”

Link’s thumb stopped moving. His breath hitched.

The world stopped.

“Otherwise... I might actually fall in love with you.”

Barely a beat passed before Link’s expression faltered. Not wanting him to retract his statement, though, Sidon leaned in, watched the Hylian search his face, watched his eyes slowly begin to slide shut halfway as he got closer. The Prince copied him, almost desperately, and when they were only an inch away from each other, he paused.

“... Sidon.” It was so quiet he barely heard it, despite their proximity.

“Link,” He whispered back.

Their eyes fluttered closed simultaneously. Whether only one of them had them moved, or if they had moved as one, didn't matter. All that mattered was that gradually their lips brushed together, just a feather light touch, not _nearly_ enough, and then—

And then, a flash of light entered the tent, accompanied with a “Hey, Prince Sidon, you in h— _whoa mama, holy_ **_fucking_ ** _shit!”_

The table screeched as they _jumped_ away from each other. Sidon yawped, and slipped stumbling back, struggling to find his footing. Meanwhile, Link yelped, hands sliding to find their grip on the table, just barely saving him from falling behind it. The Prince snapped his gaze towards the front of the tent, face scorching hot as he made eye contact with Bazz. The captain stood there stiffly, gripping his spear with one hand, the other faltering in lifting the tent flap. He was obviously embarrassed himself, if the flush of teal on his cheeks was an indicator of anything.

_“B-B-Bazz!”_ Link squeaked out, voice thin and reedy. “W-we — um—! I-I… I—”

Sidon was stammering incessantly, so much so that the only thing even _he_ was able to understand was, “B-Bazz! D— uh, I — um — we—”

The captain blinked at them, somehow smiling as awkward as physically possible. “… Whoopsie daisy.”

Sidon let out a strangled noise, and the Hylian practically _vaulted_ off the table, staggering slightly as he landed on his feet. His eyes were wide, he was beet red, but frankly, the Prince wasn’t faring any better. 

“I-I — I should, um — I should… go. Z-Zelda is — probably… looking f-for — for me.” Link stuttered wildly, freezing for a split second before rushing out the tent, navy blue cape flapping in his haste.

The Prince absentmindedly leaned against the table behind him, mind racing at everything that just happened. They had been so _close._ He distantly heard Bazz say, “Sidon, dude, I am _so sorry,”_ but didn’t respond, still caught in a daze.

A few beats passed before a slow exhale left the captain, loud in the silence of the tent. “… _Shit.”_

Sidon nodded, dragging his hands down his face.

“Shit,” He agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you missed it, here's [sidon's festival outfit!!](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/post/640332788603682816/sidons-festival-outfit-for-think-im-addicted-to)
> 
> i hope the wait was worth it! i just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who leaves comments and kudos on this fic, especially those who left them during my unintentional hiatus. i know i say thank you every chapter, but seeing people interact with this fic even after such a long time of radio silence really kept me motivated and driven to keep writing. not to get emotional on y'all, but last semester really was Extremely rough for me, but even just seeing an email of a single person leaving kudos on this fic was enough to make my whole day. it really does make me so genuinely happy to see that people still want the content that i put out. thank you guys for being so patient with me. <33333
> 
> if you want, follow me on [tumblr!](https://dreamingoverthehorizonn.tumblr.com/)


End file.
